


It's Been A Long, Long Time

by wanderlustsoul



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Black & White | Pokemon Black and White Versions, Pocket Monsters: Black 2 & White 2 | Pokemon Black 2 & White 2 Versions
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arora-chichou | Alola, F/M, FerrisWheelShipping, Isshu-chihou | Unova, basically follows N's journey in unova in bw 2, moonringshipping - Freeform, n and colress are basically adopted brothers, plot follows from BW2, plot will follow team rainbow rocket arc in alola
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-02-07 06:00:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 35,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21453163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wanderlustsoul/pseuds/wanderlustsoul
Summary: N has returned to Unova two years later after the Team Plasma incident, wanting to confess to the woman he fell in love with after much soul-searching. However, he finds out that not only is she not in the region, but even more shockingly, Team Plasma is back. He has to assist Mei, an overly-enthusiastic Pokemon trainer, in taking them down. After Mei becomes Unova's Champion, N and Mei begin to finally be friends with one another, as Mei learns more about N himself, as well as the woman he was searching for. The duo will proceed to the Alola region to take down Team Rainbow Rocket and face his father once more... with an unexpected twist of events.
Relationships: Achroma | Colress & Mei | Rosa, Achroma | Colress & N | Natural Harmonia Gropius, Mei | Rosa/N | Natural Harmonia Gropius, N | Natural Harmonia Gropius/Touko | Hilda
Comments: 10
Kudos: 42





	1. Prologue: Until We Meet Again

_He stood at the edge of the opening where his throne had once stood, now smashed into pieces. His long chartreuse green hair flowed in the breeze. As newly chilled air moves the clouds, streaks of brilliance broke through from the setting sun. It has been a long day. N lets his eyes rest for a moment, hearing the sounds of leaves rustling and the chittering of Pokemon below him, taking in the aroma of this all-too-familiar surroundings, letting his brain be still momentarily. He was aware that the young female trainer was standing a few feet behind him, anticipating his next move, although she clearly knew what he was about to do next. Her heart twisted painfully in her chest. _

_The boy turned on his heels to face her, the Hero of Ideals. He has decided on his next course of action, and he was certain the trainer standing before him was aware of it. Was N mistaken or did she appear a little miserable for a moment there? _

_Greyish-blue eyes met cerulean blue orbs. He took a deep breath before speaking. “Touko!” His mouth was familiar with her name, and he liked the way his mouth formed an O as he called her, perhaps one last time in a long while. “You said you have a dream… That dream… Make it come true! Wonderful dreams and ideals give you the power to change the world!” _

_Touko could feel her heart sinking to her stomach, a feeling strange to her. She tried miserably to stop her eyes from welling up, and was hoping the boy couldn’t see her trembling lips. Her eyes shifted and became glazed with a glassy layer of tears._

_N tried to smile at her, twisting the corners of his mouth upwards despite the bile rising in his throat. “Touko,” he continued, unable to resist the temptation of calling her sweet name one last time, “If anyone can, it's you!” _

_She bit her lip tightly in attempt to hide any sound that wanted to escape from her mouth; his heart shattered. _

_Her lower lip quivered as words slowly made their way out of her mouth. “N Harmonia…” She began, yet what followed was engulfed in the tremors. She couldn’t stop herself from running forward, closing the gap between them and hugging the boy she had fallen in love with. She heard his sharp intake of breath as his body tensed initially, before relaxing in her warmth. He placed his chin on the top of her cap, closing his eyes as he savored this feeling of holding the lovely trainer close to his chest. He felt his shirt getting damped by her tears as he tried to hold back his own. He wasn’t used to such physical contact from humans, but somehow he found himself wanting to remember how she felt on him – the way her arms were wrapped so tightly around his waist, the way she was almost throwing her entire weight on him, and the way she smelled like roses and cinnamon and sweat all at once. It was a lovely feeling, but he had to let her go, before he decided to stay. He gently took her arms away from his waist, and gazed at her lovely face, her blue eyes shining with tears. He gently reached out and wiped the tears flowing down her cheeks. Her skin felt smooth and soft under his calloused fingers. _

_“Well, then…” he whispered, taking a step back from her and tossing out Reshiram’s Pokeball behind him. The white dragon appeared and silently flapped its wings as it watched the couple before them. Reshiram could feel immense sadness pouring out from both Heroes, and it was a little depressed as well at the thought of leaving Zekrom. But it knew it had to help N fulfill his dream and let him see the truth, by embarking on a soul-searching journey with this young Hero._

_“Farewell.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiya! this is my first time posting a fanfiction and im really nervous yet excited! i hope you guys will enjoy this story and im really excited write about this as i've been wanting to write a ferriswheelshipping story in soo long! posting 2 chaps at once so hehe. please continue to support this storyy!! also will be more active in December :))


	2. Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> N returns to the Unova region after a two-year journey in other regions. He learns about the Lacunosa legend, as well as the news that Team Plasma has returned... but where was his brother Colress?

_2 years later _

His green shoes steps into the rich brown soil, damped with morning dew. The early morning sunlight, soft and diffuse, gave way to the first strong rays of the day, as he stretched out his hands and tilted his face upward, admiring the ships of white in the blue above. He could feel the newly damp air sinking, bringing a delicate awareness of his skin that he hadn't had for a while.

Much had changed in the Unova region.

N studied his surroundings as Reshiram stretched its wings and let out a loud yawn, basking in the sun rays. He noticed how there were new kinds of Pokemon wandering around nearby, some of which he was seen in the other regions he had explored in. A few Pokemon gazed at him curiously before deciding he was safe to approach. A few Deerlings, Swablus and a Yanma gathered around. He smiled, sitting down on the patch of flowers and began speaking to all of them. A Swablu decided to make its temporary nest on N’s cap as the other Pokemon either sat on his laps or lied down around him, chattering excitedly with the trainer with kind eyes. He learnt from these Pokemon that Unova's landscape had changed a bit – from the closing of Routes to the construction of a Pokemon World Tournament, which took the place of the Cold Storage. N was amazed, yet felt bittersweet at the fact that so many changes had taken place in his beloved region despite only being away for two years, though that felt like forever to him.

After much reluctance, he got up and signalled Reshiram to follow him as he made his way out of the forest in a nameless route. He pulled his cap down which caused shadows to cast over his eyes. He did not wish to attract too much unwanted attention to himself, since he would definitely cause an uproar should people realise that the ex-king of Team Plasma was back after disappearing for two years. In the other regions, it was easier to keep his identity unknown since many didn’t seem to recognise him as the ex-king of the organisation that once used to be. He had requested for Reshiram to land somewhere secluded, somewhere towards the East side of the Unova region where he was yet to explore. It was about 7am in the morning, and there were not many people around, only a few fishermen who were minding their own business as they patiently waited for water-type Pokemon to fall for their baits. He returned the white dragon behind back into its Pokeball reluctantly as he approached the building with a familiar red roof. Reshiram needed to heal up after such a long flight from the Sinnoh region. He wordlessly passed Reshiram’s Pokeball to Nurse Joy, who smiled brightly at him before returning back to work, making no indication that she knew who this nervous-looking green-haired teenager was. N then briskly made his way to the Pokemart and proceeded to purchase a dark grey hoodie, which he promptly pulled over his lean frame. He pulled the hood over his cap, hiding his green hair which people would easily recognise him by. He had begun to feel a little anxious, his stomach shifting uneasily as his hands clasped and unclasped each other as if in constant need of touch and reassurance while he sat at a seat near the entrance of the Pokemon Centre, waiting. It wasn’t that he hated being back in Unova – no, in fact, he had missed this place dearly. It was a beautiful region, and he had begun to feel terribly homesick while he was travelling in the other regions. However, he ultimately knew why he wanted to come back. He had finally decided it was time to return to the girl whom he has dreamt of at least a few thousand times for the past two years. And he wanted to thank her, share the stories of his adventures around the world, before finally confessing to her about his feelings for her this whole time.

He did not realise Nurse Joy was standing in front of him before she lightly tapped his shoulder. He jumped in his seat and got up quickly before realising that it was Nurse Joy, who held out his Pokeball with a warm smile. “Your Pokemon is all healthy now!” 

N hastily bowed and mumbled “thank you” under his breath before making his way out of the Pokemon Centre. He placed his hand over his chest, feeling his heart rhythmic beating under his fingertips. “Get a grip,” N muttered to himself before straightening his back and looking around at the town he was at. He looked at a signboard outside the Pokemon Centre, which read ‘Lacunosa Town’. N decided to take a stroll around the town, which was beginning to become lively as people made their way to work. He didn’t realise he had looked a little dazed until an elderly woman approached him, her back hunched as her arms were crossed behind her. She gave a friendly smile and N bowed at her. “Young man, you look a little lost. I’m guessing you’re not from here?”

N smiled politely at her. “I’m from Unova but I’ve never been to this part of Unova before.”

The old lady looked thoughtful for a moment before gesturing slowly at a building nearby. “Would you like to come in for some tea? You are terribly slim, young man!” she chided as N blushed a little. “I have some leftover toast from breakfast earlier. Come on in.” Not waiting for N to answer, she was already making her way to her home. N hurriedly followed her. Her house was small, but cozy. N sank down into her sofa and graciously accepted the cup of tea the old lady offered to him. He nibbled on the toast she gave him as the elderly woman sat opposite him, pouring herself a cup of tea. She was silent for a moment before speaking, “Say young man, I don’t suppose you’ve heard of The Lacunosa legend, have you?” N shook his head, but was interested in what the elderly had to say. “What is it about?”

She cleared her throat, putting down her mug. “Behind Lacunosa Town, there is a mighty big hole. Have you heard of the Giant Chasm?” Again, N shook his head.

The old woman shot him a wistful smile before continuing, “A long, long time ago, Giant Chasm was created when a big meteorite fell from the sky.

“A really scary Pokemon was hidden inside the meteorite. When darkness falls over the land, this Pokemon appears. A frigid wind follows it. It freezes everything around and eats people and Pokemon… That’s why everyone was afraid.”

N frowned. He did not believe that any Pokemon would be cruel enough to eat not just humans, but Pokemon as well. He dusted the bread crumbs of his shirt and sipped his tea as the old woman paused for a moment, before she ended her story of the old folktale, “So our ancestors surrounded the town with walls, to prevent the Pokemon from getting inside the town. Also,” she reached out to finish her cup of tea, “a rule was made forbidding anyone to go outside after dark… And that’s the end of the old tale!”

N was done with his breakfast. He stood up and bowed politely. “That was an interesting story, Ma’am. Thank you for the breakfast as well. I might make a trip to the Giant Chasm to be friend with the Pokemon that you speak of. I do not believe any Pokemon is evil by nature.”

The old woman blinked, before shrugging as she got up from her seat. “I shall not stop you, although I do believe you’re quite the reckless one. But please be safe, young man. I’ll show you out. Come stop by anytime.”

N thanked her and bowed one more time before exiting the house. He had decided he wouldn’t visit the Giant Chasm today, but instead, a forest where his friend waas. He had walked out of the town before sending out Reshiram. “Reshiram,” he murmured as he climbed onto its back in one swift motion, “take me to Lostlorn Forest. There’s a special friend I want to see.”

The white dragon nodded and took off to the skies.

* * *

“Zoroark! I’m here!”

The fox-like Pokemon, who heard its trainer calling, dashed out of the forest and into the clearing. It couldn’t believe its trainer was finally back after what felt like forever. It barked and jumped onto its trainer with chartreuse green hair, knocking him down and licking his face over and over as N giggled in delight under his beloved Zoroark. N stroked Zoroark’s mane. “Hey, that tickles! I missed you too, my friend!” N slowly got up from the ground as he pulled out something from his pocket. It was a rare kind of berry that he found in another region, and gave it to Zoroark, who consumed it in seconds. It barked with delight. N was almost tackled down by Zoroark again as he dusted himself. “How have you been?”

Zoroark told N about how it learned how to create illusory landscapes in the forests where it has been dwelling in for the past two years, to hide its territory and protect its den. N was pleased, and he scratched the Pokemon’s chin. Zoroark’s expression changed to something more serious as it began to tell N of the various incidents it has observed in the past few months.

_Team Plasma is back, _Zoroark began and N could not hide his shock. He took a step back, his head beginning to spin a little. “W-What? That can’t be right.”

Zoroark sadly nodded its head. _It’s true. I’ve disguised myself as a human a few times and wandered around the region. Apparently, your father, Ghetsis, escaped from custody with the help of the Shadow Triad. The Seven Sages have been captured by… her. However, she isn’t in this region anymore. _

There was too much information for N to process at that moment. He slumped down onto the ground and stared blankly at Zoroark, who appeared doleful as well. Reshiram, who was listening nearby, came over and crooned softly.

His father… escaped? And Team Plasma was back again? This couldn’t be. This couldn’t-

_Colress has now been made the leader of Team Plasma, N. _

“What?” N blurted out incredulously. His beloved brother, who had made his life a lot more bearable along with Anthea and Concordia, was now leading Team Plasma? Did Ghetsis force him or was he manipulated and just yet another pawn of his father’s? N shook his head in disbelief. Also, Touko wasn’t in Unova anymore. Who was keeping Team Plasma in check? He needed answers, and he needed them now. So much has happened in the Unova region, but yet…

_Hero, do not blame yourself. _He heard Reshiram told him. He glanced up at the white dragon and gave it a sad smile. “You’re right, I shouldn’t. The past two years have been extremely fulfilling for us. It’s just that…” N turned his attention back to Zoroark. “Do you know where my brother is? Is he okay? Is he-“

The sound of voices made N paused midway. He hurriedly placed Reshiram back into its Pokeball and hastily pulled the hood over his cap again. Zoroark sniffed the air, before pushing its trainer into the bushes. Zoroark growled softly, _It’s them. Team Plasma. _

The trainer and his Pokemon peeked out from the bush. Two men wearing the same black uniform with light grey masks covering their mouths stood a safe distance away from them. Although their voices were a slightly muffled, N could hear them clearly as one of them exclaimed loudly, “Okay! This seems like a safe place to discuss our plans. There’s no one around.”

The other man nodded. “Yeah. Team Plasma’s operations have been proceeding smoothly so far. However, have you faced those two pesky trainers before?”

“You mean the girl with the two buns and the boy with hair that looks like a bloated Qwilfish?”

Both laughed before becoming sombre again. “Yeah. They have been nothing but troublesome! I heard the female even beat Colress in battle once!”

N’s heart stopped beating at the mention of his brother’s name. He prayed hard that his brother was safe and not being abused in his place. He had to find him as soon as possible, but he had no idea where the new Team Plasma hideout was. If only the grunts before him could tell him where…

Luck seemed to be on his side as the grunts began talking about heading back to their base. “We should head back to base soon. It’s beside the seaside cave near between Undella Town and Humilau City, isn’t it? I’m just checking in case I get lost again,” the grunt let out a nervous chuckle. The other grunt shook his head, and began walking away. “After we’re done with our operations at Lacunosa Town. We need to gather more information about the Pokemon…” N couldn’t hear the rest of his sentence as the two grunts made their way out of the forest. After about a minute, N came out of hiding spot along with Zoroark. He already had about a dozen plans formulating in his head, but he needed more time to come up with a more concrete plan that would be fool-proof. And he needed to wait for it to be night time to execute most of his plans. N decided that he would bring Zoroark along. He held out a Pokeball and flashed Zoroark a quick smile as the Pokemon’s eyes widened. “Say, do you want to come with me again, buddy?”

Zoroark didn’t hesitate. It barked happily and lightly tapped the Pokeball with its paw. It disappeared inside the ball, which shook thrice before it stopped, meaning that Zoroark was captured. N slipped the Pokeball into the pockets of his hoodie. “Alright, I’m coming for you, Colress.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you guys liked this chapter, although it's a bit long-winded haha. Next chapter will take a few days so please bear with me !!


	3. A Brotherly Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> N has a plan to sneak into the Plasma Frigate to save his brother, Colress. Will his plan succeed? How will the reunion between the two brothers go?

The cloudy night rolled in covering the last of the twilight sky and the clouds stretched over the sky, giving the night a hazy, ominous feel as N stepped into the clearing and gazed upon the Plasma Frigate moored east of the Seaside Cave, looming darkly ahead of him. He swallowed nervously. It has been about two days since his return to the Unova region, and about a day since he found out about Team Plasma’s return. His dangerous and seemingly reckless plan to sneak up on the Plasma Frigate only took him half a day to be finalised, and even he wasn’t sure himself if it would be fool-proof. But he had no time to waste. He was worried for his brother; the many conspiracies he had about how his brother, Colress, ended up as the new leader of Team Plasma, and whether his brother was unharmed by his abusive father looped around in his mind until there was no room for anything else.

N sent out Zoroark beside him as both hid behind a few bushes beside the cave. He nodded towards the Plasma Frigate and began dishing out instructions to Zoroark, “My friend, I need you to transform into a Team Plasma grunt – the ones that are in the new uniform. After we get on that ship, please lead the way first and smell out Colress. If you see any grunts patrolling, please lead them away from me. I’m counting on you, Zoroark. I trust you fully.” He gave Zoroark a light pat on the head and it grinned mischievously. Zoroark nodded its head, signalling that it was ready to carry out the plan. On the count of three, both stealthily made their way to the Frigate, climbing onto it from its side. Zoroark easily made it on board the ship, pulling N up onto it afterwards. Zoroark lifted up its snout and began sniffing the air, before letting out a small noise of excitement. N heard it say that it has picked up on Colress’ scent, which caused him to feel on edge and jittery. How would his brother react to his appearance after disappearing to god-knows-where for two years, and then randomly showing up at Team Plasma’s base of all places? N willed himself to steady his heart rate as he followed his friend south, deeper into Team Plasma’s new hideout.

The first room they entered only had a green teleporter. N was apprehensive. What if there was a bunch of grunts just waiting on the other side of where this teleporter leads to?

Zoroark, upon sensing N’s hesitation, transformed into a Team Plasma grunt, making N jumped back a little in surprise. Zoroark reassured N, “Don’t worry, I’ll go first and check. Just wait here for about two minutes and then step on it. I’ll make sure to lead anyone away on the other side of this teleporter.”

N nodded. He hated the thought of being left alone on this dangerous ship but he had no choice. Zoroark stepped onto the green panel and disappeared as N began counting in his head as he leaned against a wall to catch his breath. He could feel the soft panic that grew with every second passing. _Zoroark… I hope you’re okay_… _and Colress too…_

Finally, two minutes has passed and he decided it was time to step on the panel. He took a deep breath and stepped on it, and was immediately transported somewhere else with dimly lit hallways. A Team Plasma grunt stood in front of him and N backed away slowly. _This is it, I guess. My plan has fai-_

_N! It’s me! _Zoroark barked softly as it transformed back momentarily. N placed a hand over his chest and sighed in relief. He went up to stroke its chin, “Thank goodness it’s you. So… did anything happen?”

_There were a few grunts here but I managed to lure them away. I’ve also convinced them to deactivate the barriers up ahead. _

N lifted his eyebrows in amazement. “You did all that in two minutes? That’s impressive, Zoroark! I’ll get you something nice to eat for breakfast after this, I owe you one.”

Zoroark grinned and transformed back into the grunt and led the way. There was a large cylindrical casing up ahead with many thick tubes connected to it, but it was empty. N peered at it suspiciously but shook his head slightly, not wanting to be distracted from his original mission. Zoroark took the right path and up ahead was a door. Zoroark pointed at it and nodded. Thanking his friend quietly, he returned it back to its Pokeball and took a few steps towards the door, stopping right in front of it. He held his fist out and stopped. He closed his eyes, his stomach knotting up as he willed himself to just _breathe_. With his hand shaking, he clasped onto the doorknob and pulled.

The blond-haired man was back-facing him, hunched over seated and studying the countless amount of papers lying messily around his table. His room was only dimly lit by a desk lamp and the screen of some monitors on his work table. Colress picked up a pen and began writing on a piece of paper. N couldn’t move from his spot, frozen from the pure shock of seeing his brother just a few feet away from him. Alive.

Colress sighed irritably as he continued writing, “Haven’t I been telling you grunts to _knock_ on the door before entering? What is it now?”

After a few seconds of silence as N was still reeling in from the shock, Colress placed his pen down and swirled around, appearing exasperated at first. “What do you want…” He trailed off as his eyes met N’s and he froze in his seat, his mouth hanging open, his initial annoyance gone in a flash. After what seemed like an infinite amount of time that has passed, how the ground between them was erased they would never recall, but one moment they were apart and the next, N was hugging his brother so tightly, he could feel his own body shake, crying for the missed time they will never make back, crying to release the tension of these two long years. Colress had shakily folded his arms around his brother’s back, drawing him closer while still in a state of being stupefied from his brother’s appearance in his room on this ship. _Wait… on this ship…_

Colress abruptly let go of N and N pulled away, sniffling a little as he quickly wiped away the tears streaming down his face. Colress quickly got up and shut the door, locking it behind him. He leaned against the door, closed his eyes and counted to ten. He reopened his eyes and N was still there. This wasn’t a dream. His brother was really there.

“N… what are you doing here?” Colress asked finally, breaking the silence. “You really shouldn’t be here you know. Where have you been all this time?”

N smiled slightly. “I was journeying around the world during these two years. I’ve missed you so much, Colress.”

Colress felt his chest tightened. He had missed his brother as well and was constantly thinking about what his brother has been up to these few years. “Why didn’t you bring me along with you? I am a miserable guy down here trapped with Team Plasma,” Colress said jokingly, but N felt guilt forming like ice in his guts. “I… I’m sorry…”

Colress quickly shook his head and sat down at his desk again. N peered curiously at the contents of his work table, noticing how there were many numbers and statistics displayed on the screen of the monitor, as well as on the sheets of paper scattered around the desk, with Colress familiar handwriting scrawled all over them. “Colress… I overheard some Team Plasma members that you’re now the new leader of Team Plasma.”

Colress lowered his head and avoided N’s eyes. He sighed. “After you left, Ghetsis made me in charge of Team Plasma, as well as the Head Scientist. I couldn’t say no, he was in an absolute state of madness after you left.” Colress looked up and saw N staring down at the ground, his cap casting shadows over his eyes as his balled-up fists were shaking. Colress immediately felt his heart twist. He didn’t want N to blame himself for this. In fact, Colress was happy for his brother. N appeared taller, more confident and looked less shy. The fact that N had managed to sneak into the Plasma Frigate was all the more impressive. Hastily, Colress reassured N, waving his hands in front of him, “But it’s fine, really! I enjoy doing my work as a scientist and researching about the true way to draw out the strength of Pokemon! So please don’t feel bad for me.”

“Does Father – no, I mean, Ghetsis, abuse you?”

N’s direct question caught Colress off-guard. N had a worried expression as he waited for Colress’ answer.

There was a pause before the blonde-haired man with a blue cowlick around his head shook his head, much to N’s relief. “No, he doesn’t. I don’t really see him much face-to-face. He just throws work at me, and I do them. And I like what I’m doing right now. I couldn’t really care less about what Team Plasma’s new goal is.”

N began rubbing the back of his neck, starting to feel remorseful again. “Colress, I’m really, really sorry for leaving you here. It must have been really hard for you and yet I was so selfish and I'm sorr– Ow!” 

Colress slapped N on the back, catching him by surprise and stopping mid-sentence. N looked up at his brother sheepishly as Colress gave a little laugh. “Hey, haven’t you been hearing whatever I’ve said? It’s alright, N. I’ll be fine…” Colress trailed off as the brothers froze in their spots upon hearing footsteps echoing towards the room. Colress’ honey-golden eyes flashed with panic as he glanced at N, who had already sent out Zoroark, a Pokemon which Colress hasn’t seen in two years. But now wasn’t the time for catch-up. 

N quickly commanded Zoroark to transform into an Unfezant and to fly out of the window and catch N when he jumps off the window ledge. As N stood at in front of the window, he hesitated and looked back at his brother. He could feel tears collecting in his eyes again. When will he get to see his brother again? How long could Colress keep up with Ghetsis’ plans before it was all too much for him to handle? N quietly asked, “Will you be okay?”

Colress nodded, before whispering to N, “Wait, before you leave… There’s this one female trainer and she is definitely going to stop Team Plasma. Her name is Mei and she has two sock buns above her ears, with two long locks hanging loose. Please… Protect her. For me. She’s important.”

N didn’t need to be told twice. The thundering footsteps were a few steps away from the door. N glanced back at his brother one last time, before jumping off the window ledge and onto the Unfezant below just as he heard Colress answered to the knocks on the door.

Now, it was time for him to search for this trainer called Mei, for he has a promise to keep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hoped you guys enjoyed reading more about the relationship about the two adopted brothers! it was fun writing this chapter too because it's my first time actually considering what their relationship would be like :) i apologise for the wait !! next chapter will probably be out maybe in the last week of November? Stay tuned!! And thank you for supporting this fic!!


	4. Refocusing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> N learns more about Team Plasma and how it has been split into two different groups - one which was still loyal to him and championing his vision while the other group led by Ghetsis wanted to achieve his true plan of world domination. N also learns more about the Unova legend, uncovering more truths about the legendary dragons.

Chargestone Cave has always fascinated the young, green-haired man as he slowly made his way into the cave from its entrance near Driftveil City. The numerous blue floating stone fragments that are found in most part of the cave gave off a soft blue glow which illuminated the entire place.

N had just visited the Pokemon World Tournament (PWT) and the Team Plasma safehouse at Driftveil City. He had hesitated initially while standing outside the entrance of the PWT. However, despite his initial scepticism about it, he had eventually decided to watch a tournament and was thoroughly enthralled. He could hear the Pokemon in the battles loud and clear; voices filled with determination and joy.

After the tournament ended, he decided to look around the city for a bit. The PWT definitely has attracted tourists from across the world, and its success can be reflected by the city's rapid development; many large emerald-coloured hotels decorated the city, which could be a result of the gym leader Clay's mining operation success. As N ventured further north, he noticed that there was a massive lone house located atop a hill. As he was approaching the hill, Rood, one of the Seven Sages, flanked by two Team Plasma grunts wearing the old uniform, exited the said house and were walking towards him. N froze. Thankfully, he was unrecognisable with his hoodie, and Rood briskly walked past him without sparing the teenager dressed in a dark grey hoodie a glance.

The encounter with Rood left N puzzled. “Didn’t Zoroark mentioned that Touko managed to capture all the Seven Sages? And why were there still members who wore the old uniform?” He shuddered while thinking to himself. He decided he needed to investigate more into this peculiar situation.

N easily managed to sneak into the house – although he knew he shouldn’t have – and looked around. No one was home. There were at least 8 bunk beds in this place, and there were the tell-tale signs of Pokemon inhabiting this place as well. N’s face scrunched up with confusion; the more he mulled it over, the more his head becomes a spinning top, always finding more questions than answers.

As N was still studying the living room of the large house, he heard the sound of the front door being unlocked. Frantically, he quickly went to the lower section of the house and pressed his back against the wall, holding his breath as he willed his racing heart to quieten down. Two grunts, dressed in the old Team Plasma uniform entered and one sank down onto the couch at the living room, while the other remained standing. N sank down onto the floor and breathed quietly, praying that they wouldn’t take any more steps towards his hiding spot.

Grunt number 1 on the couch began to speak, “Did you hear?”

N felt his legs to go weak, his stomach lurched as he feared that the grunts had heard him.

The other grunt – Grunt number 2 – glanced at him wearily as he went to switch on the ceiling fan while fanning himself, “Did I hear what?”

Grunt number 1 paused for a moment before continuing, “Well, I ran into some of our old allies.”

Grunt number 2 snorted, “Oh, those who are still in Team Plasma?”

Grunt number 1 sank deeper into the couch and replied hesitantly, “They tried to convince me to re-join Team Plasma.”

Old allies? Rejoin? This wasn’t making any sense to N at all. Were there two Team Plasma organisations now? Maybe this old organisation was now under Rood’s control?

Grunt number 2 lifted an eyebrow in surprise. “Seriously? Well, quite a few of them are still in Team Plasma. Lord Ghetsis... No, just Ghetsis. I guess he was actually pretty good. He's awesome! Haha. Just kidding!” The grunt let out a little laugh, but stopped when Grunt number 1 jumped up from the couch and stormed over to the other. “What? How dare you say that? How can you say such a thing even after you know what he's done to Lord N?!” He spat out, shooting Grunt number 2 a look of disgust. Grunt number 1 held out his hands defensively in front of him. “Of course, that was disgusting. But even if you live honestly, I'm telling you, the world is cold. As if you were surrounded by Cryogonal.” He rubbed his hands up and down his arms as if to prove his point.

Lord N? Why were they still referring to him with that term? N stared hard at the ground, pondering over what the two grunts were talking about earlier. Could it be that they were still loyal to him? But why? 

The two grunts began to argue once more when Grunt number 2 made another mindless joke, earning a few punches from Grunt number 2. “Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch! owwwww!” Grunt number 2 cowered and howled in pain.

“We have to do something for Pokemon. Did you forget that?” Grunt number 1 snapped as he pulled the other grunt up from the floor. Grunt number 2 apologised hastily, “Honestly, I'm sorry. But Pokemon have a hard time, too. Don't you think? Once they are in Pokeballs, that's it... That might happen. Still, do they really like their Trainers?”

Grunt number 1 nodded furiously, but began looking sombre as his eyes lowered, “But Lord N was listening to such feelings and words from Pokemon... Just imagining it can break my heart.”

Grunt number 2 nodded towards the door as he switched off the ceiling fan, “Lord N... I wonder where he is...” He beckoned for Grunt number 1 to follow him out of the house. “Now let's go find the Pokemon in N's Castle. We have to protect them.”

In a flash, they were gone. The door clicked behind them, and the house fell silent once more. After a minute or two, N slowly stood up and walked up to where the two grunts stood at. “I’m here though…” he mumbled to no one in particular. He surveyed his surroundings once more, gathering his thoughts and echoing them out loud, “I've been worried about the people who believed in me… But it seems they know what they can do for Pokemon in their own ways.”

N reflected on his actions two years ago, shaking his head and clenching his fists. Disappointment engulfed him as he whispered to himself, “Compared to them… What was I doing? What I really should have done was tell people how Pokémon feel…!” He took out Reshiram’s Pokeball and gazed at it. “The legendary Dragon-type Pokemon knew that. It has lived long and known many people. It knew humans and Pokémon have lived and will live together. It knew that in this relationship, humans' actions have an enormous impact on Pokemon. That's why it helps the one who searches for the ideal… the one who opens the way to the future.”

He tightened his grip on the Pokeball, his voice getting louder as he continued, “From their Pokeballs, I can hear the many different feelings Pokemon have about their Trainers! More than anything, I can hear their joy that they met people who need them!”

N put away the Pokeball back onto his belt and pulled his hood down. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. “I'll go...” he began, his voice shaking with determination, “for Pokemon, for Trainers, and for all lives and…” He opened his eyes, which were ablaze with newfound resolve, “for my friends who saved me!”

* * *

N has wandered deeper into the cave; his surroundings a little dimmer while his face still illuminated by the blue stones floating all around him. He stretched out his hand towards one such electrically charged stone, and felt the tips of his hair slowly standing up.

He had come into Chargestone Cave to collect his thoughts after his visit to the Team Plasma safehouse in Driftveil City, which he has found out by word of the mouth that it was actually a sanctuary for former Team Plasma members under the head of Rood and returning the Pokemon they stole to their trainers, as well as taking care of the ones that have not been reclaimed. Some individual former members have gone on their own journeys to prove themselves, much to N’s relief and pride that thankfully, a handful have seen the errors of their way, just like how he has. It didn’t take N long to put the pieces of the puzzle together before he realised that Ghetsis was the leader of the newer faction, which has the intention to take over Unova.

N could feel the sparks of the electricity humming softly in his veins. “Chargestone Cave -- I really like it here,” he said absentmindedly, as he ventured deeper into the cave.

This cave holds a very special place in his heart. It was here when his heart first started to waver slightly, when he first started to question whether what he was doing – liberating Pokemon for the sake of their own happiness – was actually right. Touko had stood up to him and managed to show him yet once again how strong her bonds with her Pokemon were, leaving N baffled. She called her Pokemon ‘friends’ as well, just like him, but she keeps them trapped in those horrible things known as Pokeballs. She was a walking contradiction, yet, her convictions were the real thing. She defeated him once more in the cave, despite her Pokemon being all worn-out from battling the Team Plasma grunts scattered around the cave. N could feel the determination of her Pokemon loud and clear as they fought hard against him, and Touko understood their limits as well, making sure to check if they were alright to continue the battle, which pleased N.

“Formulas express the forces behind electricity, its connection to Pokemon, and humans and Pokemon themselves,” N murmured to himself, as he smiled at the thought of a certain chocolate-brown haired trainer. He could never forget how he felt when Touko won the battle here, and how her Pignite evolved into a fierce-looking Emboar right after their battle. Touko was indeed an example of a bridge between Pokemon and humans. Yes, he was sure of it now – she was an ideal trainer.

N heard the faint noise of footsteps and the creaking of the wooden bridge as a trainer was walking across the long bridge in the cave. N pulled the hoodie over his head. He had made up his mind to travel to Dragonspiral Tower by foot, wanting to experience what Touko felt during her journey. The journey would take him about a week or longer, but he felt excited. This was one of his few journeys in Unova where he had no burdens or no responsibilities holding him down.

“I have to go…” he said softly, his voice bouncing off the walls around him as he headed towards the exit of the cave, which lead to Mistralton City. He wanted to bring Reshiram back to where he first found it, and speak with it to find out what should his next course of actions should be in Unova to bring about the changes. He glanced at its Pokeball hanging onto his belt and smiled. “Let’s take a trip back to where we first met, my friend.”

The trip had taken him two weeks. He had visited the Celestial Tower, waited for the reconstruction of Twist Mountain to be finished and then explored it while battling the many strong trainers in the mountain using Zoroark and the wild Pokemon there who wanted to fight alongside him. The journey was tedious; Twist Mountain was ridiculously hard to navigate. But eventually, he had managed to find the exit which led to Icirrus City after spending two nights in the mountain.

Upon his arrival in Icirrus City, he went to heal up Zoroark first in the Pokemon Centre, before making his way to the Dragonspiral Tower. The old structure was no longer sealed up ever since two years ago, when Team Plasma created an entrance for their king to awaken and befriend the legendary dragon Pokemon said to help those who want to build a world of truth.

N made his way atop the tower and sent out Reshiram when he finally reached the top floor. N carefully made his way around the pillars that had collapsed all around them except for the centre of the floor, where Reshiram stood and was stretching its wings, letting out a loud yawn which shook the floor. There was a ring of fire surrounding it momentarily as its tail lights up with a fiery glow. N paused before walking up to its friend and stroked it belly. “I’m sorry I haven’t let you battled ever since we came to Unova. I promise I’ll let you battle for me once we take care of Ghetsis again.”

Reshiram nodded its head and its gaze followed N as he sat himself at the gaping hole behind it. N, who was basking in the sun rays, admired the river of blue dappled by the clouds which gave him clarity, as well as a sense of freedom. He turned to Reshiram behind him. “Say Reshiram, how was it like travelling with me for these two years?”

_Fulfilling, _Reshiram responded, _I’ve never been to so many other regions around the world. And meeting so many other trainers and Pokemon was a very refreshing experience for me. So, I must thank you for broadening my horizons, Hero. _

N chuckled. “You know, I’ve been telling you to call me by my name, not ‘Hero’.” He paused, turning his attention back to the scenery in front of him before mumbling quietly, “Am I really even a hero?”

Reshiram snorted. It came over to N and picked up his cap with its mouth playfully. _If I didn’t think you were worthy, I would be still sleeping right here. Hero, don’t ever doubt yourself. You have grown a lot these two years and- _

Reshiram abruptly let out a loud roar of pain, dropping N’s cap from its mouth. N had never spun around this quickly in his life. He snatched up his cap and rushed over to Reshiram, which had its eyes squeezed tightly in pain, its tail igniting once more as the ground shook beneath them, its agonizing groans of pain ringing in N’s ears as he placed both hands on its belly. “What’s wrong? Reshiram?” N choked as Reshiram continued to wheeze. N gave it reassuring rubs as Reshiram calmed down, the flames on its tail diminishing. “My friend, are you alright? What happened?” N prompted with worry, passing a Sitrus Berry to the dragon.

_The Third One… it’s in trouble… _Reshiram responded weakly as it sought to catch its breath.

“Third One?” N asked, his brows creasing with worry.

_Opelucid City… we must go there quickly. Now. _

N shook his head, confused. “Wait. Reshiram tell me who is this ‘Third One’ you speak of.”

Reshiram looked down at N, a pained look in its sea-blue eyes. _Kyurem is the Third One. When the two twin heroes of Unova began to argue, then fight, over whose side was right, the single dragon split into two – forming Zekrom and me. But what many don’t know is the existence of third dragon that was "created" from the leftovers: Kyurem. _

N took a step back, absorbing the newest piece of information. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Kyurem…” he muttered under his breath before looking up at Reshiram. “What’s going on in Opelucid City?”

Reshiram stared into the distance. _I am not exactly sure but I felt Kyurem’s pain in me just now, and I could feel its power from Opelucid City. The Third One might be in grave danger. _

N did not hesitate coming up with his next course of actions. “Alright, let’s head there right now.”

N got onto Reshiram and it immediately took off, flying through the opening. The air around them began heating up as Reshiram’s tail lit up with immense heat. N had an ominous feeling about this, and somehow, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Team Plasma was involved in this. N prayed hard that he was wrong as the familiar cityscape of Opelucid City loomed ahead of them. But something was wrong. As they approached the city and got a closer look, N gasped in horror and he felt Reshiram halting mid-air as both took in the sight before them.

Opelucid City was covered completely in ice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys and sorry for the wait!! (yay i posted this earlier than predicted haha) lengthy chapter but basically it focuses on the events happening in Unova and N's responses to them! Rather lengthy chapter haha I hope you guys dont mind. Thank you for all the support for this fic and I hope you guys will continue to enjoy it :))


	5. Embracing One's Duty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> N has decided to help out in 'defrosting' the frozen city of Opelucid City, while in the meantime, Mei, a Pokemon Trainer who has just got all 8 badges in Unova, along with her rival Hyuu, sought to search for the Plasma Frigate. Both learns about Team Plasma's plan to make use of the legendary ice dragon Kyurem to take over Unova, and tells Cheren, the Gym Leader of Aspertia City, about their findings. Cheren proceeds to Opelucid City after a call from Drayden that the person Cheren was looking for has returned to Unova. Together, N and Cheren head to the Giant Chasm to confront Team Plasma once and for all.

The white-coloured bipedal dragon landed carefully on the ice which has covered all of Opelucid City. It wasn't a pleasant coldness – it was the kind that made you walk all the faster and braced your head against the wind. N remained seated on Reshiram, thankful for the warmth radiating out from its body and tail, which was shaped like a jet engine.

“Reshiram, Flamethrower!” N commanded, and the part Fire-type dragon released a stream of red-orange flames out of its mouth, aiming it directly at a pillar of ice. Instead of being melted into mere puddles of water, the sturdy-looking pillar of ice stood stubbornly, with not a single charred mark on it. N’s eyes widened, flabbergasted. “What…?” he mumbled incredulously, staring at the pillar of ice which has taken a Flamethrower from one of the strongest Pokemon in Unova.

“Why don’t you try Fusion Flare?”

Both N and its friend looked down towards the source of the awfully familiar voice. Drayden, the Opelucid City Gym Leader and its mayor walked towards Reshiram and stopped, folding his arms as he looked up at N. “The ex-king of Team Plasma, the Hero of Truth… so you have returned.”

N immediately got off Reshiram and bowed. “I am truly sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused two years ago.”

Drayden let out a gruff laugh. He waved his hands in front of him, “It’s fine, young lad.” He looked up at the sky and shivered slightly from the cold. “Though I do need your help now, hrmph.”

N nodded in agreement. “What happened here?”

The mayor of Opelucid City sighed and rubbed his temples. “Team Plasma attacked my city by shooting balls of cold energy from their Plasma Frigate. They stole something important from me, and I fear that they have captured the Ice dragon with the intention to freeze the whole region.”

N was shaken to the core. Visibly paling, he closed his eyes and willed himself to breath. “S-so… Team Plasma was behind this…” He had prayed hard that his father wasn’t behind this, but deep down he knew – only his father was capable and possibly mad enough to pull this off. “Mr Drayden, I apologise on Ghetsis’s behalf. I… I had no idea he had escaped from custody and only found out about it three weeks ago when I returned to Unova. I apologise for not realising what was happening to the region sooner.”

Drayden gave the remorseful teenager a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder. “It doesn’t matter, youngling. Right now, I’ve done all I could to try and destroy all these ice pillars around my city. My Pokemon are unable to even leave a mark or scratch. But your Reshiram there…” Drayden gazed up at the white dragon whose wispy white mane flowed in the chilly breeze. N shook his head. “I tried just now, but-“

“Try Fusion Flare then,” Drayden interrupted, having an edge of desperation in his voice. “This attack was most likely from Kyurem. Since Reshiram and Kyurem are from the same dragon, Reshiram’s signature move is probably able to have the same intensity as Kyurem’s.”

N nodded and turned back to Reshiram, which looked ready and eager to test out Drayden’s logic. “My friend, aim Fusion Flare on that same ice pillar!”

Reshiram roared and fired a large sphere of flames with two rings surrounding it at the pillar. When the sphere collided into the ice, it created a violent explosion. After shielding their eyes, both N and Drayden turned back to where the ice pillar once stood, now reduced to mere puddles of water. Reshiram let out a triumphed roar and grinned. N rushed over to Reshiram and placed a hand on its belly and exclaimed, “It worked! Good job, my friend!”

Drayden sighed in relief. “Well done, Reshiram. Now…” he looked around the city which was covered in about a dozen more ice pillars. N stepped towards the mayor and placed a hand over his heart. “I will clean up this mess, Mr Drayden. Leave it to me and my friend.”

About forty minutes later, Opelucid City was more or less ‘defrosted’, with only about three more ice pillars standing. N, Drayden and Nurse Joy went around the city to distribute warm blankets to residents, after the doors to their apartment were thawed. N and Reshiram were resting outside the Pokemon Centre; Reshiram exhausted from firing Fusion Flare so many times in a short span of time. Drayden and a few of his Pokemon were currently helping to clean up the puddles of water around the city, with Haxorus and Druddigon firing out Flamethrowers. Nurse Joy came up to him after going around the city tirelessly and asked with a warm smile, “Do you want me to heal up Reshiram for you?”

N nodded and thanked the kind woman, returning Reshiram back into its Pokeball and handing it over to Nurse Joy, who briskly made her into the Pokemon Centre. N was about to walk over to Drayden to assist him but was stopped when he heard someone calling his name. “N! Oh god, it really is you!” 

N spun around and he lifted his eyebrows. One of Touko’s best friend, Cheren was running towards him rather frantically and uncharacteristically of him. Cheren appeared more matured – he no longer wore glasses and his hair was longer, his orange neck-tie flying behind him as he skidded to a stop in front of N. N gave him an awkward smile and greeted Cheren, “Er… hi? It’s been a while.”

Before Cheren could respond, Drayden appeared behind them and folded his arms. “N, I’ve told Cheren that you’ve returned. He was here to assist two trainers, who have gone ahead to confront Team Plasma.”

Cheren cleared his throat and spoke, “The two trainers have confirmed that Kyurem is indeed being used by Team Plasma. They battled Zinzolin but the Shadow Triad threw them off the Plasma Frigate. It then took off in the direction of the Giant Chasm and…” Cheren turned to N, who stared at him open mouthed, his brain formulated no thoughts other than to register that he was shocked. Cheren continued, “that’s when you come in, N. Your Reshiram is the only Pokemon in this region that is able to stop Kyurem. And, I’m sorry for suddenly requesting of you to help but, please… come with me to the Giant Chasm. I don’t think the two trainers are able to win against Kyurem, who’s under Team Plasma’s control.”

A heavy silence hung in the air. N looked at Drayden, who was quiet for a while. N felt terrible for leaving Drayden to handle Opelucid City by himself, who would not be able to remove the three remaining ice pillars without his help. But according to Cheren, N was the only person who could stand up against Ghetsis. The thought of Kyurem being under Ghetsis’s control pained N – no Pokemon should ever experience being used especially by his father, and he was ready to fight with his father until Kyurem was freed from Team Plasma’s control.

“Go on, young lad,” Drayden said gruffly and once again squeezed N’s shoulder. “Be careful, too.”

N nodded. He was determined to finally put an end to Team Plasma’s plans once and for all, as well end all the sufferings of the Pokemon under Team Plasma’s control.

Nurse Joy came out of the Pokemon Centre and handed N’s Pokeball to him. He sent out Reshiram and told Reshiram about the plan to head to Giant Chasm and face Ghetsis, as well as save Kyurem and protect the trainers who were headed there as well. Once the plan was finalised, N got on Reshiram and thanked Drayden. Cheren had sent out his Unfezant and both took off into the skies.

“Let’s head to the Giant Chasm from Lacunosa Town. It’s just east from there,” N said, remembering the words of the elderly he had once spoken to in Lacunosa Town. N gripped tightly onto Reshiram as it began to accelerate towards their destination using its jet engine-like tail.

* * *

_A few hours ago _

“Finally, the eighth Gym Badge! I’ve got them all!” The young, female trainer with two sock buns on her head, exclaimed and whooped for joy as she stepped out of Humilau City’s Gym, admiring her case of badges which glistened under the sun.

“Mei!”

Mei looked up and saw her rival with dark blue spiky hair dressed in a white and red training suit jogging up to her. He bumped his fist to hers and cheered, “You got all the Badges! You’re really something!”

Mei blushed at the compliment. “You’ve got all the badges too, Hyuu!”

Hyuu grinned slightly. “Usually, we’d go to the Pokemon League now, but…” Hyuu’s smile was gone as his eyes narrowed in anger as he exclaimed, “dealing with Team Plasma comes first!”

After spending about five minutes healing up her team in the Pokemon Centre and restocking on supplies, the duo stood in front of the Gym to discuss their next course of actions. Hyuu slapped his face with both hands. “We have to focus!” He turned to Mei who giggled in amusement at Hyuu’s actions. “Hey, we have to find out where they are first, goofball.”

He nodded and scratched his head before speaking again, “Ok! We’ll split up!” He pointed at Mei, “You’ll check Route 22, got it?” Without waiting for Mei to respond, Hyuu dashed off, heading south of Humilau City and towards the sea. Mei sighed and mumbled to herself, “Hyuu…” she scrunched her face in annoyance.

Following Hyuu’s instructions, the pale-skinned trainer with a pink and white visor on her head made her way north-west of Humilau City to Route 22, battling many tough trainers along the way. The route was difficult to navigate, as it consisted of multiple hills and plateaus, some of which can only be accessed by ledges, making it a natural maze. Mei trudged with exhaustion as she slumped down under a tree to take a short breather, slumping with fatigue.

All of a sudden, a gush of wind blew in her direction, nearly blowing off her visor as she swatted her locks away from her face. She gazed up and a huge, intimidating Pokemon – one which she hasn’t seen before – stomped up to her. The Pokemon had a rounded forehead adorned with two sharp brown horns that curve forward stared back at her intensely, its orange eyes seemingly trying to convey something to her. Mei pressed her back against the tree, terrified. The Pokemon stared at her silently, sizing her up. It was radiating such powerful presence and strength, which was strangely similar to Virizion and Cobalion who have approached her as well. It nodded at her and bellowed, and took off in the other direction. Mei’s jaws dropped open as she stared at the Pokemon, which disappeared shortly afterwards without a trace.

“The one radiating such a tremendous presence before you is none other than Terrakion!”

Mei jumped up from her spot. She turned her neck and saw the scientist, whom she has spoken to and battled a few times, sauntering up to her. He gave her a small wave and Mei blushed. Colress stopped in front of her and stretched out a hand, “It's been a long time,” he murmured and smiled. Mei, whose whole face was burning red, gratefully took his hand and Colress pulled her up. Mei dusted her shorts and her leggings as Colress studied the spot where Terrakion once stood. “Terrakion is one of the three Pokemon who protected Pokemon from the flames of a human conflict… It seems likely that Terrakion has picked up the scent of danger that emanates from Team Plasma,” Colress explained, before walking back to stand in front of Mei. She shyly looked down at the ground under the intensity of his gaze. Colress paused, before speaking softly to her, “It's probably seeking a Pokemon Trainer who has the strength to stand up to them.” He winked at Mei who has looked up at him, with her eyes wide opened. “M-Me?”

Colress reached out and plucked out a piece of leaf which had unknowingly been stuck in one of Mei’s sock buns on her head during her time in Route 22, his eyes gazing intently into Mei’s, who inhaled sharply at such a close proximity to this scientist who has caught her interest ever since their first encounter at the Castelia Sewers. Though her ears had been hidden among the locks of hair hanging loosely around her face, it was obvious that they were as rosy as her face. Colress took a step back and mused, “It's very interesting indeed that Terrakion appeared before you!” Colress flashed her a friendly smile before changing the subject and asking her, “That aside, do you plan to confront Team Plasma?”

Mei nodded almost immediately. “Of course, I do! They’ve been causing so much trouble lately. I have to stop them, once and for all.”

Colress paused, his eyes flashing with worry for a millisecond before he regained his composure. “I see,” he said, his voice going an octave lower. He straightened his back and forced a smile at Mei, who gazed at him curiously. Colress continued, straining his voice to sound optimistic and hoping he didn’t sound too worried for the trainer’s safety, “If that's the case, you must have the power to protect your own Pokemon! Being protected by Pokemon alone doesn't make you a Trainer! It's because Trainers are strong, because they care about their Pokémon, that these Pokemon can also be strong!” _Colress! You’re running your mouth! Get it together! _

Acting on impulse, Colress reached out and took Mei’s hand in his, and placed the Colress Machine in her palm. “Here! This is from me!” He realised he was still holding her hand, and quickly let go, taking a step back. Mei’s face was aflame as she hastily looked down and studied the object he had passed her. Why was she so nervous and jittery around him…!

Colress cleared his throat and Mei looked up, noticing how slightly the man’s complexion was tinted slightly with red. He pointed to the object and explained, “This is a prototype of my device that energizes Pokemon! It doesn't work on battling Pokemon, but you may find it useful for something!”

Mei nodded slowly and placed the machine carefully into her handbag. “Thank you…”

Colress forced another smile as he took another step back. He had to go and take a look at Kyurem one more time under Ghetsis’s command. “Well then,” he murmured and walked away back to where Humilau City was, “I wish you and your Pokemon a safe journey!”

_Colress! You have to give her a hint to lead her to the Plasma Frigate! _his inner conscience yelled at him. Colress sighed quietly, and stopped in his tracks. “Now that I think about it!” he exclaimed loudly, causing Mei to jump in surprise again. Colress rubbed his chin thoughtfully with his back still facing Mei. “In the Seaside Cave on Route 21, I saw something that reminded me of when we met on Route 4.” Without another word, Colress briskly made his way back to Humilau City, with a hint of a smile ghosting his lips, leaving behind a blushing Mei.

It took Mei a while to come to her senses as she remembered how Colress had used a machine of a sort to energize the group of Crustles which were blocking her way back at Route 4. “So… there’s probably a roadblock in Seaside Cave. Maybe that’s where Team Plasma’s hiding?” she wondered out loud as she made her way back to Humilau City. After healing up once again, she decided she had to explore the Seaside Cave and find Team Plasma’s base. She sent out her Flygon and hopped onto it, instructing it to bring her to the Seaside Cave.

True enough, there was indeed a roadblock in Seaside Cave, which leads to another exit of the cave. The Crustle which stood in Mei’s way refused to budge, but with a mere click of a button on the Colress Machine, Crustle got up and battled with her, which she won easily.

Upon exiting the cave, Hyuu magically appeared behind her, and gave her a thumbs-up. “You found them! I knew you could do it!”

“Hyuu! You scared me!” she shrieked, but stopped when she saw Hyuu’s eyes widened at the sight before him. She turned around and gasped. A mysterious black vessel stood impressively before them, and it was the same flying ship that attacked Opelucid City.

Hyuu scratched his head and huffed in annoyance, “There they are! But… how do we get in?”

“Hold up!”

A heavy gangplank fell with a solid thud in front of them, and the Humilau City Gym Leader walked down from the ship. He flashed both of them a sunny grin. “Eh, this should do it!”

Hyuu stared at Marlon in confusion. “I thought you weren’t going to fight Team Plasma?” he asked, peering suspiciously at Marlon while recalling the conversation they had with the Gym Leader before splitting up. Marlon had appeared to be oblivious to what Team Plasma was up to and even uninterested to assist them in stopping the evil organisation. Mei elbowed Hyuu in the ribs. “Be nice!” she hissed.

Marlon went up to Hyuu and gave him a friendly hit on his shoulder. “Hey, friends!” he said cheerfully, “Team Plasma’s not botherin’ me. They could be up to no good for reals, and it’s not my style to go around decidin’ Team Plasma’s bad without thinkin’ ‘bout it just ‘cause everyone says so!” Marlon noticed Hyuu’s frown deepening and laughed. “But, eh, you’re havin’ trouble, so I’ve got to help out! That’s what I want to do!”

“Thanks…” Hyuu grumbled, earning another nudge from Mei. She bowed gratefully towards the Gym Leader, “Thanks a bunch, Marlon!”

Marlon nodded and rubbed the back of his neck, turning around and facing the Plasma Frigate once more. “I made some noise, so people came out!” he apologised and turned back to face the two trainers once more before continuing, “Hey, be careful, ‘K!” Marlon then strode towards the Seaside Cave and disappeared, leaving behind a speechless Hyuu.

Hyuu groaned loudly in annoyance. “What was that?!” he yelled, “That guy sure doesn’t follow through!”

Mei sighed. “Sheesh Hyuu, at least he found us a way to get in.”

“Well… I guess he was being kind in his own way, I guess,” Hyuu grumbled. He shifted his attention to the huge sailboat ahead. He slapped his face with his hands again as he declared, “All right! I’m going in!”

“Hyuu! Wait!” Mei called after him, but Hyuu has already dashed up the gangplank and onto the ship. Mei groaned in frustration before shaking her head. “Mei! You can do this!” She told herself and glanced at the Pokeballs in her handbag and grinned. “C’mon guys! Give it all you’ve got! Let’s teach those crooks a lesson they’ll never forget!” She took a deep breath and ran up the gangplank, bracing herself.

Sure enough, many Team Plasma grunts had ambushed them. But together with Hyuu, taking all of them down was a breeze. The duo then went around the Plasma Frigate to gather information to deactivate the barriers which blocked them from advancing deeper into the ship. They managed to enter the correct password, and were faced with Zinzolin, one of the heads of Team Plasma. He had proudly presented to them Kyurem, the legendary Pokemon of ice, who appeared to be in pain and misery. It gave a weak cry as Zinzolin explained that the ice missiles fired into Opelucid City were created with Kyurem's power and Team Plasma's technology. After being defeated by Mei and Hyuu in a double battle, Zinzolin sighed in annoyance. “Hmph. You two are smarter trainers than I expected. If you've got that much sense, why did you do something as dangerous as sneaking into our base?”

Hyuu gritted his teeth, barely containing his anger, “That should be obvious!” He snapped, “I'll do whatever it takes to get my sister's Pokemon back!” He took a menacing step forward. “Are YOU the one who stole a Purrloin in Aspertia five years ago?”

A Team Plasma grunt moved nearer to Zinzolin and held out an arm defensively. Zinzolin murmured exasperately, “If it's just a Purrloin, someone probably stole it and is using it. Why can't you understand?” Zinzolin scrunched his face in disgust as he regarded the spiky-haired trainer, hot with anger. “There are other Purrloin. Why are you so fixated on this one?”

“That's the ONLY Purrloin in the world that my late grandpa caught for my little sister!” Hyuu shouted, the veins in his neck showing as he lunged forward in an attempt to punch Zinzolin in the face. The Team Plasma grunt dashed in front of Zinzolin and pushed Hyuu away. “Hyuu!” Mei yelled and ran up to him, helping him up from the ground. “You okay?”

Zinzolin sneered at Hyuu, "An individual's feelings…” he paused dramatically as Hyuu stood up, supported by Mei. “To you, that's probably a matter of great importance. But from the perspective of other people, it is a trifling matter indeed. Compare those feelings against the majesty of this ship!” Zinzolin waved to the structures around him and roared, “This ship itself is a device that uses the Pokemon Kyurem's power! With this ship, this time we will conquer Unova!”

Mei was already grabbing a Pokeball in her hand, ready to send out her Serperior to teach this man another lesson. Zinzolin glanced at her and turned back to where Kyurem stood, “It looks like Kyurem has fully recovered. We'll put the DNA Splicers to good use. I'll let you take care of them, Shadow Triad!”

Hyuu also had a Pokeball in hand, ready to fight Zinzolin once more. He growled, “Don't mess with me! You were the one who lost-“

Out of nowhere, three Shadow Triad members appeared and with a flash of white, Mei and Hyuu found themselves lying back on the sandy area outside the Seaside Cave. They got up groggily, and gasped in horror as the Plasma Frigate before them took off into the skies.

“Dammit! Team Plasma!” Hyuu spat and kicked the sand on the ground. “No matter where you fly, I won't let you get away!”

“Mei! Hyuu!”

Both turned around and saw Cheren, who was running to them. He stopped in front of the duo and sought to catch his breath as he apologised, “Sorry I’m late…”

Both Mei and Hyuu bowed politely at him. Cheren straightened his back and adjusted his neck-tie, peering in the direction of where the ship flew off. “I suspect that they're flying toward the Giant Chasm,” he said and bit his lip nervously.

“The Giant Chasm! That's deep in Route 22, right?” Hyuu asked. Cheren nodded. Hyuu dusted the sand off his dark blue riding pants and exclaimed with newfound enthusiasm, “Ok, I'm going! Mei! You come too!” Hyuu paused, before muttering, “That Pokemon... Kyurem, was it? Its cry sounded lonely somehow…”

“Hyuu, wait!” Mei called but alas, Hyuu has already sprinted into the Seaside Cave. Mei sighed.

Cheren came up to her side. “Kyurem!” He gasped, “Team Plasma is using Kyurem's power for evil?!” He asked, perplexed. Mei nodded solemnly. She watched Cheren as he tapped his foot on the sand, thinking. He was quiet for a moment before speaking again, “Then how should we stop Team Plasma? If Kyurem is, like Drayden said, a legendary Dragon-type Pokemon, the only ones who could stand up to it are Zekrom or Reshiram! But…” Cheren trailed off and shook his head. He looked at Mei with sad eyes. “Neither of them is here right now... Where are the ones the legendary Pokemon recognized as heroes, anyway?” He rubbed the back of his neck and contemplated for a moment, before snapping his fingers. “I guess I just have to find one of them!”

Mei gave Cheren a reassuring smile. “I’ll go and catch up with Hyuu. Don’t worry, we can stop them by ourselves!”

She sent out her Flygon and flew towards Route 22, towards the cave which connected the route to Giant Chasm, where the final showdown between Team Plasma and Mei and N would take place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys and long chapter this time ! i hope you guys enjoyed reading from Mei's point of view this time as well! Next chap will be kinda intense but it might not come so soon D": (maybe in the first week of dec..? i cant be too sure haha) But as always, thank you for supporting this fic and i hope you'll enjoy this chap, as well as what i have in store for this fic!!  
EDIT: also, i've changed Touko's starter in the previous chap to Emboar bc i forgot that's her canon starter pokemon skskks


	6. An Unlikely Enemy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mei and Hyuu enter the Plasma Frigate once again to settle scores and put an end to Team Plasma's ambitions once and for all. But, Mei has to deal with an unlikely enemy, one who she thought was trustworthy all along...

It didn’t take long for Mei to arrive at the Giant Chasm and catch up with her rival, Hyuu. Both teenagers then made their way into the Giant Chasm stealthily, navigating their way deeper into the cave which seemed to be getting colder with every step they took. Mei watched as her breaths rose in puffs as they jogged towards the exit, the frigid air wrapping tighter around their bodies.

Upon exiting, they were greeted with chaos, as well as the blast of cold air which hit their faces like millions of tiny knives. Rood – an ex-Team Plasma member and one of the Seven Sages – along with two ex-Team Plasma members dressed in their old uniforms that made them look like knights, were in the midst of a Pokemon battle with the more modern-looking Team Plasma grunts who stubbornly stood in their way, with their Liepards growling fiercely at anyone who dared to take a step forward.

“Aah! I will say it as many times as it takes until you understand!” Rood roared with fury as his Pokemon successfully knocked out another of the Team Plasma grunt’s Pokemon. “Ghetsis's real plan was to take over the Unova region! Liberating Pokemon was nothing more than an excuse! If anything, it would've made Pokemon suffer!”

Another grunt came forward and sent out a Trubbish. “Uh-huh, yeah. That’s a pretty speech, gramps!” The grunt mocked. “You fool! We’re not going to listen to what a traitor has to say! Go, Trubbish!”

Hyuu sighed and shook his head. “Well, that didn’t work…”

Mei was about to grab Hyuu’s shoulder to stop him from dashing forward but he was quicker. Hyuu ran up towards the scene ahead of them and shouted at the top of his lungs, “HEY! LET ME THROUGH!”

Mei groaned as everyone in the vicinity turned their heads towards Hyuu with a look of shock and disbelief. After registering the source of the voice, a Team Plasma grunt ahead sneered, “What are you saying? Looking to get hurt?” He eyed the boy doubtfully. 

Mei ran up to Hyuu, who stood his ground and clenched his fists. “I’m going to get a stolen Pokemon back! I’m not going to listen to villains like you!”

The grunts readied their Pokeballs and pushed past Rood and the ex-Team Plasma members. “You’re just a kid! Quit trying to act so cool!”

Both Mei and Hyuu nodded and each other and took out their Pokeballs as well. The grunts stood in front of them menacingly and growled, “Whatever! Nobody’s getting close to the Plasma Frigate! Wipe them ALL out!”

The battle ensued. After exchanging a few blows, the double battle ended poorly for the villains, who were knocked out easily by the two teenagers who already had eight gym badges. Rood walked briskly to their sides as the defeated grunts scampered away and asked with a worried expression, “Are your Pokemon OK? You should take these with you!” He said, handing them a bunch of Max Revives.

“Thanks…” Mei and Hyuu said as Hyuu looked at the gap ahead of them. “I’m passing through-“ He took a step and stopped. He frowned. “Oh, it looks like their backup has arrived.”

Two more grunts have appeared to fill in the spaces of their fallen comrades. Rood walked up towards them, with another Pokeball in hand. “At times like these, those whose hearts weaken, those whose determination falters, can accomplish nothing! To save our old allies, to protect Unova, we will fight!

“Both of you, go! No, just a moment… Hyuu, was it?” Rood turned to face the boy with dark blue spiky hair. “About the Pokemon you're looking for… In all likelihood, it is in the possession of the Shadow Triad--the dark warriors who appear silently.”

Hyuu’s eyes widened and he grinned widely. “Got it! If I rescue it, that helps you absolve your guilt, doesn't it?” Rood nodded and smiled slightly. Hyuu gave him a thumbs-up. “Guess I'll help you out!”

Mei watched as Hyuu ran ahead and barrelled through the grunts attempting to block his way. Rood glanced at her before sending out his Pokemon to take down the grunts. “At that time, I believed we were on the side of justice,” he murmured with his back facing Mei. “By serving my king, N, I was going to make a world without war. But I was conceited, and I couldn't see the unhappiness we were causing. That's why I can't let it happen again!” His Pokemon leaped forward and took down a grunt. It signalled to Mei to chase after Hyuu. She nodded and quickly thanked Rood before dashing past the grunts and sliding on the slippery ice to enter the Plasma Frigate once again.

Upon entering the enormous ship, Mei saw that Hyuu was in the middle of a Pokemon battle with the grunt in front of him. Three other grunts were on the ground around him with a look of disbelief on their faces. It appears that Hyuu has already took down all of them.

“Hyuu! Hey! I’ll help you!” Mei called out and ran towards him. He glanced back at her and held out his hand to stop her. “Go on ahead!” He yelled. He waved his hand in the direction of the unguarded door to the south of the ship. “I'm going to make them tell me about the Shadow Triad! If you find Purrloin or the Shadow Triad, let me know!”

Mei hesitated. Will he be okay by himself? She looked at Hyuu and saw how Hyuu was taking down his opponent’s Pokemon easily. A smile formed on her lips. Of course, he’ll be fine by himself. He’s Hyuu – stubborn, impatient and very, very strong. Despite the cold, Mei could feel her heart burning with determination. This Team Plasma nonsense has to stop once and for all. She will find Purrloin for her best friend and then take down that Ghetsis to put an end to Team Plasma’s mad ambitions.

Sure enough, she was ambushed by the grunts who were anticipating her arrival. Thankfully for her, Hyuu was done with his battles and joined her in the ship and helped to take care of some of the grunts who got in their way. Hyuu ended up going to another part of the ship to hunt down the Shadow Triad, while Mei continued to explore the main parts of the ship. It took her awhile to find her way around a huge area with pipes and to deactivate the barriers before she finally came face to face with Kyurem itself. The legendary Pokemon was still trapped in the same cylindrical container and it appeared to be more aggressive than the previous time. It glared fiercely at the girl who stood a few feet away from its prison and let out a roar which shook the ground beneath her. She gasped and took a shaky step back. “Kyurem-!”

“The device is indestructible!” An all-too familiar voice rang around her. She turned and came face-to-face with Zinzolin, who was fuming with anger as he stomped up to her, his face morphing into a huge scowl. “You will never be able to release Kyurem! You don't have the sense to know when to quit, it seems. It's an act of mercy on my part to bring this to an end now!”

Zinzolin sent out two Cryogonals and a Weavile in an attempt to stop Mei in her tracks. However, with the help of her Lucario’s effective fighting and steel type moves, she easily took them down in a matter of seconds. Zinzolin gritted his teeth together as he returned his fainted Weavile back into its Pokeball. “Beaten again?!” he seethed. Straightening his back, he rubbed his hands together while cackling, “No matter! Team Plasma will get the last laugh!”

She narrowed her eyes, but smartly chose to ignore his threat and returned Lucario back into its Pokeball, but not before thanking it for its hard work. A grunt was blocking the warp panel to the left, so she decided to head to the one unguarded on her right.

The room she was transported to seemed like a control room. There were many monitors on the huge wall in front of the room, as well as a steering wheel located near the front. Some monitors had many statistics and bar graphs, while the rest were most likely connected to the security cameras hidden on this ship, spying on her every move. Her eyes settled onto a man who stood up from his chair on a higher platform in a white lab coat with striking blond hair. She gasped in shock and horror as the man turned around to face her, his lab coat swishing with his movement.

“Welcome!” Colress greeted the female which stood at the warp panel, shell-shocked. Colress…? What was he doing here? Was he… Was he a part of Team Plasma all along? Has she been fooled by him all along?

Colress rambled on as he gestured to the monitors all around him, "I was asked by an acquaintance to help with his research. What I desire is to bring out the entirety in Pokémon potential! If I can accomplish that, I don't care what it takes!"

She wanted to speak, shout and scream. But nothing came out of her mouth. This whole situation was so bizarre, but she was more upset with herself for actually _liking_ someone who was working with Team Plasma. Colress, the man who gave her encouragements throughout her journey and even gave her a hint as to where their hideout was, works for her enemy. He was an enemy, one which completely had her wrapped around his finger.

Colress had descended down from the platform. He had been studying her every move and especially the way she battled the moment she stepped foot into the Plasma Frigate. Seeing her standing quite rooted to the ground and not uttering a single word from her lips was definitely a change from her usual enthusiastic yet shy demeanour when she was around him. But, Colress understood why she was feeling this way. He noticed that her usual blush was gone, replaced by unusual paleness and cold sweat forming under her visor. He felt a pang of guilt but continued his speech as he took slow steps towards her, careful to not make any sudden movements, “If it means the strength must be brought out by the interactions between Pokemon and Trainers, then so be it! If it means you have to use a merciless approach, like Team Plasma's, and force out all of the Pokemon's power, then so be it! And yes, if the entire world is destroyed as a result, then so be it..." He trailed off, studying Mei’s reaction. His words bounced off the walls around her and rang painfully in her ears. She was gasping for air as she processed his words. This… This man has been a heartless maniac all along…!

Guilt was eating and pestering Colress. A fire burned in his mind and throat. Remorse hit him like a sledgehammer. He felt guilty for saying such horrible things and claiming to mistreat Pokemon. But more than that, he felt guilty for lying to her. Fooling her. Breaking her heart. The list goes on. However, he had no choice. Ghetsis had put him in charge of getting rid of Mei, whom he has labelled as a “persistent threat”, much to Colress’ annoyance.

_“If you fail me, Colress, you will not like what I will be doing to her.”_ Ghetsis’ nasty words echoed around his mind, causing him to wince. He knew Ghetsis was watching this entire scene unfolding in his room, probably enjoying his torment, yet making sure Colress stays in line.

“That aside!” He exclaimed, “the reason I have been traveling all over Unova and battling many Pokemon Trainers is because I was testing the viability of this approach to bringing out the full strength of Pokemon. In that respect, you've done an amazing job,” he continued, watching as Mei finally lifted her head to gaze into his eyes. She appeared to be in a daze – her soulless eyes met his, causing him to feel out of place. He wasn’t used to her looking defeated and it bothered him. A lot. Clearing his throat rather awkwardly, he blurted out, “Well now! Tell me if you have the answer I desire or not! If you're ready, come at me!"

Mei’s reflexes got the better of her as she fished out a Pokeball from her handbag. She tossed it and out came Lucario, who glanced back nervously at Mei. It was able to sense something off about the aura she emitted out this time. It wasn’t the usual calm and soothing aura but rather, it was chaotic and distracting. It was also rather exhausted from battling Zinzolin a few moments ago.

In response, Colress sent out his Magneton, which was buzzing with electricity and ready to fight. “It looks like you're ready, then! OK! Let us begin! Magneton, use Thunder Wave!”

Magneton released blue bolts of electricity from the ends of the magnets on its body, aiming them right at Lucario. Miraculously, Mei found her voice again and croaked out, “Use Aura Sph- wait, I mean dodge it!”

Her Pokemon, confused by the slip-up in its Trainer’s command, could not react fast enough and the electricity curved around it, tying around and preventing it from moving.

“Now use Discharge!”

Magneton released multiple light blue electricity from its body at Lucario. The attack hits, and Lucario groaned loudly in pain as it was a critical hit. “Lucario!” Mei cried in horror as she watched her beloved Pokemon going limp. No! This wasn’t like her to lose so easily!

"Come on! More! Bring out your Pokemon's power!" Colress encouraged upon seeing Mei in this state. Guilt stabbed him painfully in the chest as he watched Mei returned Lucario silently back into its Pokeball and murmured something to it.

_What’s wrong with you? Get it together! _Her inner-conscience screamed. _Your Lucario got hurt because of you! And,_ _you’re dealing with a terrorist organisation, this is no time for you to be distracted! Come to your senses quickly! _

She closed her eyes and inhaled. _Focus!_ She willed herself. _If I lose against this man, Unova- no, the whole world will be in danger. More Pokemon will be abused. More human lives lost. What was I thinking being distracted by this man who I thought I knew better? How could I let nerves get the better of me?_

Mei opened her eyes, determination washing through her like a perfect surfer's wave, taking Colress aback. She held his stare with her chin slightly lifted up as she adjusted her visor and narrowed her eyes a little. Colress was spellbound and suddenly jittery with joy. Finally, this Mei standing before him wasn’t a stranger. She was back, and more confident yet calmer than ever.

“Colress…” She began as she sent out her next Pokemon, Serperior. “This battle is only getting started!”

Colress, who was puzzled yet intrigued by her choice of Pokemon, grinned. “I'm more psyched than I've ever been! I can still go on!”

The battle continued, but this time in Mei’s favour. She breezed through his remaining Pokemon, except for his Klingklang which proved to be a real challenge to her. Serperior lost against one of his Pokemon earlier so she sent out another. Her Arcanine roared and lunged towards Klingklang, which was agile now thanks to its move Shift Gear and easily dodged Arcanine. Colress could barely contain his glee. _So, this is what it means to draw forth the power hidden in one’s Pokemon…! _Mei proved to be once again a respectable and skilful trainer, always exceeding his expectations of the average Pokemon Trainer.

“Finish this off, Arcanine!” Mei commanded calmly and pointed at its opponent, “Flare Blitz!”

Klingklang had been weak from dodging all its moves, hence its slower reaction time gave just enough time for Arcanine to score a direct hit, instantly knocking Klingklang out.

"So strong! You're a very strong Trainer indeed!” Colress praised and clapped as he approached Mei, who warily studied him. “So, let me ask you this!” He stopped just mere metres away from her, “Are you thinking of reaching even higher heights by understanding each other as Pokemon and Trainer?"

Arcanine had jumped in front of Mei and growled at him. Mei quickly placed a hand on its back before replying, “Yes, of course. My Pokemon… I have always wanted to understand them. Throughout this journey, we’ve been learning from one another and always growing. So, I wish to understand them more.”

“I see...” he mused and pondered over her response while stroking his chin. He gazed at her – yellow into blue – before smiling slowly. “To me, that is an ideal answer. To think! That's what you actually believe! You bring out the power of your Pokemon with respect and love!”

As Mei returned Arcanine back into its Pokeball, Colress paced to the left with his hands behind his back. “You have shown me the potential of your approach. To me, whether Team Plasma wins or whether you win will decide how the relationship between people and Pokemon should be!” He ambled back towards her. “So where will this be settled? Step on the warp panel on the other side of the room where Kyurem is being held.”

Mei blinked. “Colress,” she blurted out, her voice quivering. She wanted to kick herself and retract back his name but she couldn’t. And why was her voice wavering? “Colress, I… I refuse to believe that you’re a part of Team Plasma. How could you… lie to me all this time? I-“ She stopped mid-sentence when she saw Colress placing a finger on his lips. “Not here,” he mouthed to her and slowly bent forward to whisper in her ears, “I’m sorry, Mei. Good luck in your battle.”

And with his parting statement, he pushed her forcefully back onto the warp panel, taking her by surprise as she shrieked while being teleported away from this room, away from him. Away from the person who had hurt her.

Mei was transported back to where she had come from. Kyurem was still trapped in the container, its agony muted by the thick walls of its prison. Mei blinked away her tears. She stood up and dusted her behind and glanced back at the warp panel before returning her attention to the other green warp panel located on the other side of the room. Colress… she never wanted to see his face ever again.

She shook his head. _No! Stop thinking about him! _

Colress had told her to step on the warp panel that was on the other side of the room. Fortunately for her, the grunt who was guarding it was a coward and had ran off after he had found out that she has beaten Colress.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped onto the teleporter and was sent into an office with dark grey walls and a few monitors around it, monitoring her every movement. There was a man seated down in front of those monitors. Upon sensing her arrival, he swivelled around in his chair. Mei drew in a quiet breath.

The leader of Team Plasma, Ghetsis, stared at her, his red eye glinting maliciously. His face slowly twisted into an ugly smile as he slammed his cane onto the ground and stood up, causing Mei to flinch back.

“Welcome, Mei of Aspertia City. I have been waiting for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaa sorry guys this was so overdue!! :(( my major exams ended at the end of November last year, so I decided to take a whole month break from life ssksk and also because my Nintendo Switch came in December so I was pretty occupied with the new Pokemon game ahaha so sorry for making you guys wait for this chapter! I've also started my part-time job recently so i can't promise yall a date as to when the next chapter will be uploaded but thank you all for waiting patiently!!


	7. Bitterly Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mei finally comes face-to-face with Team Plasma's leader, Ghetsis. Hyuu will finally learn the truth about the Purrloin he has been searching for throughout this whole journey. Will Mei be able to stand up against Ghetsis? Or will Ghetsis finally achieve his desire of ruling Unova?

Mei studied the man before her. He had long, pale green hair, with two locks of it sticking out by his red eye and eyepiece. He wore a black cloak with an eye pattern on them which flowed behind him as he slowly sashayed towards her.

Abruptly, he slammed the cane once more onto the ground, causing Mei to jump up and yelped in surprise. His sinister grin was replaced with a scowl. "That blasted Colress!" The cane stabbed into the ground once more. He turned to glare at the teenager standing before him with her eyes wide as saucers. "The fool is far too committed to pure science. This is how he repays me for making him the boss of Team Plasma? How dare he put his personal intellectual curiosity before our ultimate mission of conquering Unova!" Ghetsis bellowed, causing fear to sit on Mei like a pillow over her mouth and nose as she stood rooted on the spot, terror-stricken.

Thankfully for Mei, he turned to face one of the monitors on his right before barking again, "How fortunate for you! Few get to be the sole audience member for one of my speeches." He paused and approached Mei, enjoying the way this insolent teenager before him was trembling slightly with fear, before continuing his preamble, “Team Plasma will use its knowledge and technology to take Kyurem's true power to its absolute limit and freeze the Unova region. The terrified people and Pokemon will bow at Team Plasma's...no...at MY feet!" He slammed the cane into the ground again; the metallic clang of the cane echoed around the tiny control room as Ghetsis took another step toward Mei. “Kyurem is an empty being. The remnants of a certain Pokemon when it split into Reshiram and Zekrom... My desire is absolute rule of Unova!” Another step closer. Mei held her breathe as her heart pounded against her chest. She could more clearly study the features on Ghetsis’s face, which were laced with anger. His smirk grew wider as he hollered, “That's right! Kyurem will be the vessel into which my desires will be poured!”

Out of nowhere, a Shadow Triad member materialised into thin air between Mei and Ghetsis, causing Mei to squeak in surprise.

“Lord Ghetsis,” the man spoke in a low voice, “Kyurem has been transferred.”

Ghetsis threw his head back in a sinister laughter, “It's finally here!” he roared triumphally, “The wonderful era in which I am the absolute ruler of Unova has finally arrived!”

As if he suddenly remembered the girl’s presence, he pointed his cane towards her and ordered, “I'll let you take care of this!”

Without a second glance at her, Ghetsis proceeded to walk towards the exit, his black cloak dancing in the cold wind as he opened and slammed the door shut. Mei silently heaved a sigh of relief as his footsteps crunching against the layers of hard snow began to fade. But, before she could recover from that frightening encounter with Ghetsis, Hyuu appeared in a flash of green light on the green teleporter and almost instantly sprinted towards the Shadow Triad man, glowering. “Wait… You’re one of the Shadow Triad, right? Tell me about the Purrloin that was stolen in Aspertia.”

There was a pause before the man spoke, “Very well…” he fished out a Pokeball from his pocket as Hyuu’s eyes widened, “This might be it.”

The slender, purple feline Pokemon speckled with yellow rosettes appeared before Hyuu and Mei. It was no longer a Purrloin, but a Liepard. Liepard, upon noticing the presence of the stranger in front of it, readied its stance to fight and growled loudly, its whiskers twitching and its nails elongating. Hyuu, horrified, took a step back, his eyes clouded with confusion. He opened his mouth to speak but could only gasp as the Pokemon he had once caught and gave to his sister was now aggressively growling at him, looking as though it was ready to tear him into pieces.

“I stole this Pokemon five years ago in Aspertia. So, it seems likely that it is the Pokemon you're talking about. But now, it only listens to my commands. Such is the fate of Pokemon that are trapped in Pokeballs!” Behind his black mask, Mei could see the muscles around his mouth twisting into a wicked smile.

“Wh-what?” Hyuu finally spoke, but his voice was shaking. He averted his stare from the ferocious-looking Liepard in front of him, “Don't mess with me... That's someone else's Pokemon!” he stuttered.

“Ah... I feel sorry for Pokemon,” the Shadow Traid lamented mockingly, “they're ruled by Pokeballs and the whims of their Trainers... Lord Ghetsis spoke of Pokemon liberation two years ago simply for his own ambitions, but... If his plans had succeeded, many Pokemon would have been saved. This Liepard--well, you knew it as a Purrloin--if it had been released, it might have returned to you. Well then...” The Shadow Triad shifted his attention to the girl, “You there!” he snapped at Mei, who flinched back visibly. “I won't let you interfere with Lord Ghetsis's plans!”

He sent out a Pawniard which slashed the air with its knife-like blades. In response, Mei sent out her Arcanine and made quick work of his three Pokemon – two Pawniards and an Absol. Arcanine barked boastfully as Absol was knocked out cold from its Flare Blitz. As the Shadow Triad man returned his fainted Pokemon, Arcanine began to growl defensively as it stood closer to Mei. “What’s wrong, Arcanine-“

“You're not done yet...” a voice behind her spoke, causing Mei to swiftly turn around as Arcanine leaped over her and stood between her and another Shadow Triad man. A third one appeared beside her as he readied his Pokeballs.

Mei tossed out Flygon’s Pokeball. “Arcanine, Flygon, let’s take them all down!”

A series of battles ensued, ending poorly for her enemies as she easily took them down with her strong partners.

“No matter...” the first Shadow Triad member spoke up after Mei returned her Pokemon, “The only thing you can do is watch Lord Ghetsis use Kyurem to freeze Unova solid. That's all...” He then turned to Hyuu, who appeared to be in a daze. The man smiled sardonically, “You... I'll return this Pokemon to you. Considering what Lord Ghetsis is about to do, I have no further need of it.” And with that, as if on cue, the three men vanished into thin air after throwing a smoke ball below their feet.

“Hyuu!” Mei spluttered as she coughed into her hand and made her way slowly to Hyuu through the white smoke. As the smoke began to clear, she could see Hyuu several feet ahead of her, still in the same dazed appearance. She hurriedly jogged up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it. “Hey, you alright?” she asked worriedly.

At first, her rival said nothing. But he began trembling, clenching and unclenching his fists. “Hey… Mei…” He began slowly, sounding uncertain. “If we let Team Plasma do whatever we want... There'll be more sad Pokemon like Purrloin and Kyurem...”

“Hyuu, you know I won’t let those bastards do that,” Mei reassured fiercely. It hurts to see her best friend in this state. She would never forgive Team Plasma for taking away his Purrloin and causing so much grief to her friend.

"Sorry... This situation is messing with my head...” Hyuu apologised shakily as he finally managed to drag his stare away from the Liepard. He looked at Mei and she could see the tears threatening to fall. “I just don't know what to do... I finally found my sister's Pokemon, but now it's glaring at me... Why?!”

Mei patted his back. “I’m going ahead to stop Ghetsis. Will you be OK here by yourself? Or do you want me to stay-“

“Go,” Hyuu pointed at the exit. “I’ll… be alright. Don’t worry about me, Mei. And,” he took Mei’s hand and squeezed it hard, “promise me you’ll end them. Once and for all.”

Mei nodded. Without looking back, she dashed towards the exit and pushed the door open. She ran and ran into the harsh coldness, ignoring the way the cold was whisking heat away leaving her pale, ignoring the fear growing in her with every step she took towards an entrance to a cave, which she presumed that that was where she was going to face Ghetsis. She couldn’t tell if she was shaking from the cold or from the adrenaline coursing through her blood. Or maybe it was her nerves as she entered the cave, her stomach immediately knotting up and her breathing becoming rapid and shallow. Her surroundings were much dimmer. It took her some time for her eyes to adjust to the drop in brightness. Slowly, she began navigating through the cave and managed to reach to the deepest part of the cave.

The temperature in the deepest part of the cave dipped to below freezing point. The frigid air made it hard for her to breathe through her nose or mouth. Mei hugged herself tightly as she took slow steps forward, shivering, her muscles clenched tight against the cold.

“The Giant Chasm!” Someone awfully familiar roared enthusiastically, as if welcoming her. Once again, she came face-to-face with Team Plasma’s megalomaniac leader. Ghetsis had a firm grip on his cane as he continued, “This is the spot where Kyurem's power resonates. Here, Kyurem can use the full extent of its power and easily cover all of Unova in ice!” He slammed the cane onto the ground before commanding, “Kyurem, come!”

As if the temperature couldn’t drop any lower, a gust of chilly air rushed to Mei’s body as her hair danced wildly in the cold wind, leaving her blue and shaking even more. The cold stung every part of Mei’s exposed body, stealing her heat, leaching away a few more fractions of a degree to take her closer to hypothermia.

With her eyes barely opened, she studied the ice-dragon before her. Kyurem has a blue head and snout, a pair of pointed light bluish horns on its head and a yellow crest on its skull. Its yellow eyes were studying her as well, but they did not have pupils. It bellowed loudly, causing the ground beneath her to rumble slightly. Its breath was cold, causing Mei to close her eyes shut as the chilly air blew towards her.

Ghetsis, who seemed to be immune to the cold, laughed harshly. “I have a memory that has continued to haunt me. Just one.” Mei looked up and met his angry stare. Ghetsis’s frown deepened as he gripped his cane tighter. “That unpleasant look in your eyes reminds me of it. That aside, this is my gift to you to show my respect for making it this far. I'll freeze you solid right here so you can watch my glorious ascent!" He howled and stabbed the ground with his cane, “Kyurem! Glaciate!”

Cold air began gathering around Kyurem’s oddly shaped blue wings. With a mighty, deep cry, eight large icicle spears materialised from the freezing air above Kyurem’s body. They began rotating in a circle quickly and moved towards Mei, surrounding her. Mei could only watch as the eight deadly spears angled towards her, rotating faster than ever. She stood rooted onto the spot, too stunned, cold and frightened to react. She was going to get killed. Impaled by Kyurem’s icicles. This was it. She played the hero for too long and in the end, none of her efforts mattered. Because this was it.

She closed her eyes, bracing for impact and death as the spears drove in towards their goal. She could hear Ghetsis’s insane laughter ringing around her as her vision faded into nothing. Her clothes were soaking wet, her lips were blue with cold and her teeth chattered.

Just as the icicle spears were mere metres away from her, there was a loud explosion around her as intense heat surrounded her. Everything went white.

“Reshiram! Fusion Flare!!”

There was a ring of fire surrounding the spears. Something – or someone – was enveloped in a giant ball of fire. The thing in the ball of fire roared, and a violent explosion which instantly melted the spears followed. The coldness around Mei melted as the impact of the explosion threw Mei a few feet back. She could finally open her eyes. She gasped at the sight before her in disbelief. 

Ghetsis eyed the newcomer with rage. “So you came… The freak without a human heart… N!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiii late update i knoww. next chap will be rather intense haha so stay tuned and thank you all for continuing to read this work i really appreciate it! :)


	8. Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> N finally confronts his Father after two years. His partner, Reshiram, faces an unexpected situation with Ghetsis's Kyurem. Mei has to take down Ghetsis by herself. How will the battle go down between the boss of Team Plasma and her? The fate of the Unova region lies solely in her hands.

“What’s… going on?”

_Team Plasma… _

The Hero of Truth and the white dragon had arrived at the Giant Chasm. Cheren had gone off in another direction towards the Pokemon League to warn the Champion and the Elite Four of Team Plasma’s new plan to dominate the region.

To N’s horror, the all-too-familiar Plasma Frigate was parked right in the middle of the clearing, flattening the trees and sticking out like a gigantic sore thumb.

Reshiram winced as N felt its entire body shudder. He began stroking its body, “What’s wrong?”

_I feel it… stronger… Kyurem… it’s in pain… _Reshiram wheezed.

“Lead me to Kyurem. Father might be there as well,” N commanded and without hesitation, Reshiram swooped lower and closer to the Giant Chasm and everything came to view. N peered down and gasped as he saw one of the Seven Sages – Rood – and a few Team Plasma grunts in their old uniforms battling against those in a newer, more modern uniform. Upon noticing the shadow of a huge _thing_ casted over them, everyone looked up.

“L-Lord N!” Rood blurted out upon seeing the ex-Team Plasma’s leader after two whole years. “You’re… you’re back!”

The Team Plasma grunts dressed in the older uniforms began whooping with joy whereas those new grunts gawked at N, dumbfounded.

“Rood!” N waved, “Where’s Father- I mean, Ghetsis?”

Rood cupped his hands around his mouth, “There is a cave located at the back of this clearing. That is where Kyurem and most probably Ghetsis are!”

N nodded gratefully. “Thank you!” He shouted in return. “I will be back after dealing with him!”

Before Rood could respond, let alone protest against that dangerous idea, Reshiram and N were off. The white dragon took off in a hurry and glided towards the cave entrance, where N could hear the echo of a laughter belonging to his Father, which sent chills down his spine. It was an unpleasant sound, reminding him about Ghetsis’s constant abuse towards him and Pokemon as he carried out cruel experiments on them. “Kyurem! Glaciate!!” N heard his Father commanded.

Reshiram’s eyes widened. _There’s someone else inside! Ghetsis is trying to kill h-_

“Go, Reshiram! Fusion Flare!” N ordered swiftly. Reshiram’s entire body began to be cloaked in intense heat as its jet engine-like tail flared to life, burning bright orange and red in flames. It rushed forward at breakneck speed and towards the Glaciate attack, melting the icicle spears aimed at a female trainer standing before Kyurem. Reshiram rumbled and unleashed its Fusion Flare attack to its surroundings, instantly melting the spears which once threatened the girl’s life.

“So you came… The freak without a human heart… N!” Ghetsis bellowed, his voice full of anger and hatred.

Reshiram slowly descended from a height as N got off. He walked briskly over to where the teenager sat on the ground, looking as though she was about to pass out. He stretched his arm towards her and surprisingly, she took his outstretched hand. _So this was the girl Colress was interested in and wanted me to protect…_ N thought to himself, pulling her up and silently heaving a sigh of relief as he had managed to save her before Ghetsis could be labelled a murderer, and also relieved that he was able to keep his promise to his brother. He turned to face his nightmare. “Reshiram told me Kyurem is suffering!” N accused, observing the way Kyurem seemed exhausted and weak. He shook his head, his heart breaking at the sight of the Kyurem who was under Ghetsis’s control, “I can’t allow selfish humans to make Pokemon suffer!”

N looked down at his blue and black pendant on a chain around his neck and grasped it. “And I like Unova,” he said softly, “it’s the place that taught me how to live as a human… It's the place that made me notice the harmony between Pokemon and humans living together…” he finally looked up and met Ghetsis’s glare before continuing with more passion than ever, “I will protect the Pokemon and humans who live here!”

Reshiram cried out and flapped its wings, as if to reiterate its Trainer’s words.

Ghetsis let out a harsh laugh while tapping the ground with his cane as if to clap. “Excellent!” He praised sarcastically, sneering at N, “That was a moving expression of your determination! So, the education I provided to make you king wasn't a complete waste, then!” Ghetsis’s expression twisted into something angrier as he exclaimed, “But I still haven't forgotten that even though I was kind enough to find you when you were living in the forest with Pokemon, and take you in, and care for you, in the end you were selfish and disrupted my plans. I was supposed to use your abilities to rule Unova!” Ghetsis paused, possibly waiting for N to respond or break down. But the green-haired man did neither, allowing the pain of the words to take a toll on him silently. Ghetsis cleared his throat and he narrowed his eyes, “But I'll forgive you for that as well. Reshiram, which you were kind enough to bring with you, can melt ice! Now you've saved me the work of searching for it! Well, actually, I knew you'd appear if we fired ice missiles into Opelucid City and you noticed the change!”

N’s eyes twitched with anger. So that attack on the city was a calculated move? Not just to steal the DNA Splicers and ensure a smooth getaway, but also to lure him out of hiding? N’s expression could barely hide his disgust as he spat out, “That's an ugly formula! It won't work!”

Ghetsis let out a booming laughter, “Oh, but it will! If I use these! The DNA Splicers!”

He tossed out a splicer into the air. It hovered over Kyurem and Reshiram, sucking in some dark energy from its surroundings before being injected into Kyurem.

The yellow crest on Kyurem’s forehead began to glow. Kyurem stood up on its hindlegs and let out a cry as the ice on its wings broke, revealing gray tendril-like appendages on Kyurem's back. It opened its mouth to release a low sound before shooting out purple beams from its appendages, aimed right at Reshiram. Reshiram, upon anticipating that move, flapped its wings forward to move backwards and dodged the beams. Reshiram flapped its wings once more and ascended into the air, avoiding more of the purple beams which followed Reshiram around. Kyurem’s head followed Reshiram’s movements. It was relentless in its pursuit, shooting out more purple beams than before as it desperately sought to land a hit on the airborne dragon. N and Mei could only watch helplessly as Reshiram continued dodging the beams skilfully as Ghetsis commanded Kyurem to attack more.

Alas, Kyurem had correctly predicted Reshiram’s flight path, aiming several beams right at the white dragon. The purple beams struck it, causing Reshiram to whimper as the beams enveloped it. Reshiram moaned loudly in distress as it struggled to get out. However, the more it struggled, the tighter the beams seemed to wrap around it. As Reshiram dropped from the air, it slowly wrapped its wings around its body and in a flash of purple light, it had reverted back to its Light Dragon Stone, floating in front of Kyurem.

N was beyond petrified, his brain stuttered for a moment as every part of him goes on pause while his thoughts catch up. He made a noise of astonishment before calling out hesitantly, “R-Reshiram!!”

There was no response. N could feel his stomach drop to his toes as fear took over his body. He began trembling.

“Kyurem!” Ghetsis commanded loudly, not allowing N any time to digest the situation or to recover from the shock of so abruptly losing his friend, “Absorb Reshiram! Use Absofusion!”

The same strands of purple beams attacked the Light Stone before the ice monster. As it began absorbing Reshiram into itself, its tail, which has three blue conical spikes on its tip, began to flare up with a fire ball as intense as that of Reshiram’s. It roared louder than ever and all of a sudden, its surroundings were ablaze with hot glowing flames. There was a flash of extremely bright light, causing N and Mei to look away and shield their eyes.

In a matter of seconds, the bright light faded away. Everyone turned their attention to where Kyurem stood. Except the being standing at where Kyurem was initally standing at, wasn’t exactly Kyurem.

The Pokemon before them has thin arms with two rings and three claws each, wings between the rings on its forearms, and its right arm and wing are frozen. Its tail resembles that of Reshiram; the ends of its hair and wings become fiery and its tail has acquired fiery highlights. The tail also contained four holes. Its shoulders are covered in 'squares' of ice with two pins protruding from each which can come out and 'plug in' the aforementioned holes.

The Pokemon cried out as the pins ‘plugged’ themselves into the holes on its tail. A ring of fire once more surrounded it, causing the ground and the walls around them to rumble, threatening to give way any time soon. The temperature began soaring up, contrary to the cold Mei had felt when Kyurem was still present. Now, she was sweating from the sheer firestorm caused by the Pokemon which resembled both Kyurem and Reshiram standing ahead of her.

N’s eyes were fixated on the Pokemon before him. Finally able to speak, he took a step towards it. “I never would have believed that Pokemon can fuse together… That there was a formula like this...”

“You fool...” Ghetsis growled as he glowered at N, daring him to take another step forward, “Last time, I was going to use you to capture people's hearts and minds to rule them! But this time, I'm simply going to use overwhelming power and rule with an iron fist! Do you understand? If you had simply become king, Unova would have remained beautiful!”

N winced at his Father’s bluntness. He could never get used to the fact that Ghetsis had this elaborated plan of making use of him ever since Ghetsis founded him as an orphan in the woods. Hearing his Father say this clearly once again made his heart turned into lead, and sank slowly inside him as he tried to remember how to breathe, unable to speak. Reality hit him hard once again. 

Ghetsis had a satisfied smirk on his face. His red eye focused on the trainer standing beside N, like a predator eyeing its prey. “Come now, Trainer. This time no one will save you!” He beckoned and his smirk grew wider as Mei narrowed her eyes in fury, “But to make things interesting, I'll give you a chance. Let's see if you can stop THIS Kyurem!”

There was a dramatic pause. Mei could barely contain her outrage. This man- no, this monster – was truly the biggest bastard out there. He made use of his son just to further his own ambition? Just how lunatic does one have to be to pull off this grand masterplan of his? And his complete disregard of Pokemon’s feelings were causing Mei to clench her jaw tightly as she began burning hot with rage. 

Ghetsis cocked his head to the side and raised his eyebrows before speaking again, “What's this? Your Pokeballs are trembling. Could your Pokemon be shaking with rage?” Ghetsis scowled and slammed the cane into the ground before thundering, “No! That's not possible! Simple tools don't have emotion or thought! Come! Challenge Kyurem! Just so you know, catching it is impossible! My cane emits signals that disrupt the function of all Pokeballs!”

So… she had to take this White Kyurem down by herself. “It’s okay,” she said softly to herself, “My partners, I trust in all of you. Let’s bring it down.” With determination pure as gold, she adjusted her visor and closed her eyes, counting to five before opening them. She slapped both her cheeks with her palms and reached into her handbag to pull out a Pokeball.

“Wait.” N’s voice came from behind Mei. She turned slightly to look at N, who appeared to be shell-shocked from losing his friend. “It's faint, but I can hear my friend. I can hear Reshiram’s voice. It says they can be separated again!” N could feel the tears welling up in his eyes as he pleaded, “I beg you! Please save my friend! And all of Unova's Pokemon and humans...” he trailed off as Mei gave him a gentle and warm smile. “I will, don’t worry,” she mouthed before facing her opponent.

She had assumed that White Kyurem was probably an ice and fire type, so she sent out Krookodile. The battle began as White Kyurem attacked with a flurry of ice-type moves. Krookodile was agile and managed to land some hits before its opponent landed a few hits on Krookodile. Ice Beam connected with Krookodile, immediately knocking it out. But sure enough, Krookodile’s attack did weaken White Kyurem, but not as much as Mei had expected. “Maybe it isn't a fire-type…?” she thought to herself as she returned Krookodile, murmuring praises. “It didn’t use any fire-type moves…”

Next, she sent out Arcanine. “I’m counting on you, my friend. Lend me your strength! Use Flare Blitz!”

N was watching the Trainer before him in a daze. She looked so calm, yet he could feel her steely determination as she commanded her Pokemon with ease, not losing hope even though she had already had one fainted Pokemon. She reminded him of… her. Touko. The Trainer before him was kind – both to him and Pokemon. She was also a confident and powerful Trainer. N felt something in him – hopefulness? He wasn’t sure but he continued to observe the way she was battling, silently cheering her on. Each blow delivered by Arcanine caused N to wince, as he could hear and feel Reshiram’s pain. “Reshiram… hang on…” he murmured.

Arcanine was getting tired from using that many Flare Blitzs in a row as it took recoil damage each time. Mei was aware and felt guilty, but that was the only attack that seemed to be dealing much more damage. She had to come up with a new plan, fast, before Arcanine fainted from exhaustion or before White Kyurem launched another move.

“Come back, Arcanine! Take a good, long rest my friend,” she said and returned Arcanine back to its Pokeball before tossing out another. Out came Flygon, which regarded White Kyurem fiercely.

It seemed stupid, since White Kyurem’s ice-type moves could probably knock Flygon out instantly. But Mei had a strategy. “Flygon! Get in close and use Dragon Claw!”

Flygon rapidly flew towards White Kyurem as it attempted to fire out Ice Beam, which missed since Flygon was in close-range. The Dragon Claw landed successfully, causing Kyurem to howl in pain. “Keep up the pressure!” Mei ordered, figuring out that White Kyurem was most probably an ice and dragon type. Flygon managed to land a few Dragon Claws in succession as White Kyurem fought back by cloaking itself with glows orange, creating a circular reddish-purple aura around itself, heaving with exertion.

Mei did not know what that attack was but she decided to take the risk. “Now, finish this! Dragon Tail!”

Flygon’s tail glowed with a green, scale-patterned aura. With a final cry, Flygon forcefully slammed its tail squarely on Kyurem’s forehead. There was a flash of brilliant white light emitted from White Kyurem as it released multiple reddish-purple beams of energy, blinding everyone momentarily.

“Preeeeaah!” Reshiram’s roared.

“Haaahraan!” A more weaker cry was heard.

When the light faded, Mei opened her eyes to find that her Flygon has fainted. The bright light from just now was probably one of its moves. But thankfully, Kyurem and Reshiram were separated. Reshiram flew over to N’s side, crooning in delight as N reached out to stroke its long slender neck, murmuring something to it. Kyurem had fled hastily to an even deeper part of the cave, not leaving behind a single trace.

“I can't believe it!” A voice ahead of them fumed. N and Mei shifted their attention to Ghetsis, who looked as if he could erupt in his furious state. He was holding his cane tightly, his cane shaking visibly as Ghetsis felt his anger boiled deep in his system, as hot as lava. Fires of fury and hatred were smouldering in his small narrowed eye as he hissed exasperatedly, “The White Kyurem I went to all the trouble of preparing! How irritating! Now I have to go recapture Kyurem, don't I? But first, I'll take down this disgusting Trainer with my own hand! This time I WILL succeed! No matter what they try, no one will be able to stop me!”

Without thinking, N hurriedly jogged up to Mei and handed her a Max Revive and three Full Restores. “Quick, use them,” he said in a low voice and she nodded.

Ghetsis had once again banged his cane onto the ground, but this time too forcefully as it seemed to be stuck. He was breathing heavily, his red eye looked like they might pop out as his face was contorted with the venomous outburst. He sent out his first Pokemon, tossing his Pokeball with so much force such that Mei visibly recoiled away.

Mei countered by sending out her own Pokemon, Krookodile, which had a type advantage over his Confagrigus. As Krookodile attacked its opponent with Crunch, Ghetsis smiled psychotically, “I was expecting exactly that kind of move! Confagrigus, Toxic!”

The battle continued. Mei had successfully knocked out his first Pokemon, but Krookodile was poisoned, taking some damage with every move it took.

Ghetsis’s second Pokemon was Seismitoad. Mei smartly switched Krookodile out and sent out Serperior, which easily took down its water and ground type opponent.

With a slightly annoyed face, Ghetsis sent out his third Pokemon – an Eelektross. Mei decided to stay in with Serperior. Ghetsis smirked. “Eelektross, Acrobatics!”

His Pokemon was fast. Its body glowed light-blue, and it quickly zipped through the air before tackling Serperior, which winced in pain. “Again, Eelektross!”

The agile Pokemon did not give Serperior a chance to recover. It attacked from all directions, causing Serperior to wince in pain every time Acrobatics connected with it.

“Serperior! Wait for it to come close, then attack it with Leaf Blade!”

As Eelektross was coming in close with another Acrobatics, Serperior correctly predicted where it was coming from, and the leaf at the end of its tail glowed light green before slashing Eelektross with it. It was a critical hit!

“We’re not done yet!” Ghetsis growled menacingly. “Use Acrobatics!”

Once more, Eelektross came close. Just as Serperior was preparing to slash it again with its Leaf Blade, Ghetsis gave out a different command, “Flamethrower!”

“Serperior watch out-!”

The stream of fire connected directly with Serperior, which was knocked down in an instant. Ghetsis howled with laughter as Mei silently returned her beloved starter into its Pokeball. _Ghetsis is strong and calculative… I had better be careful. _

Mei sent out Flygon to replace Serperior. The battle continued, leaning more towards Mei’s favour as she managed to knock out his Eelektross, as well as his Drapion. She decided to let Flygon rest and sent out Krookodile to face his fifth Pokemon, Toxicroak. Both Pokemon were evenly matched. The Pokemon on both sides fainted.

Now, Ghetsis was down to his last Pokemon.

“Hydreigon, come out and beat them all!”

His last Pokemon proved to be a challenge. With its Life Orb, Hydreigon was able to deal massive damage to all of Mei’s remaining Pokemon, knocking out her Flygon and Swanna. Now she was left with two more Pokemon.

“Lucario, I’m counting on you!” Mei called out, cheering her Pokemon on and calming it down.

Both Pokemon fought fiercely but alas, the recoil damage from the Life Orb was just too much for the Hydreigon, which was eventually knocked out cold after a finishing blow from Lucario.

The battle, which decided if Team Plasma was to be disbanded or not, was finally over. Mei, the girl from Aspertia City, has defeated Ghetsis. Team Plasma was no more. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !! happy valentine's day everyone !! sorry this chap doesnt have anything related to vday or any ships AHAHA it's a rly intense chap and im glad it's finally out i hope you guys enjoy it :D pretty long chapter haha (i kept stopping halfway) but aye this update came quicker than i had expected


	9. Recovery and Moving On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Team Plasma arc in Unova has once again come to an end. Now, it was time for Mei, N and Colress to decide what they would like to do next. Mei has plans to head to the Pokemon League to put her skills as a Trainer to the test, but what about the two brothers? What will become of them, now that Team Plasma is no more?

The ruler of Team Plasma watched in slow motion as his Hydreigon – his last Pokemon standing – collapsed to the ground, unmoving and completely exhausted. The plans he had made to rule over Unova with an iron fist also came crashing down on him as he stared at his fainted Pokemon with a blank eye. _No… this can’t be… happening…_

Ghetsis took a step back. “How can this be?” His hand was shaking as he returned Hydreigon into its Pokeball, blinking rapidly and processing the situation before him. “I'm the creator of Team Plasma! I'm perfect! I'm the absolute ruler who will change the world! And I've lost to some unknown Trainer not once, but TWICE?!” he rambled, pacing back and forth, his eyebrows twitching with anger. 

He looked up and regarded his son with cold, undisguised fury. No, the boy standing in front of him wasn’t his son. N was the pawn which he made use two years ago, and N was supposed to help him succeed his plan to dominate Unova. But he failed. And it was all because of that one girl whose eyes had burned holes into the back of his head that had been haunting him for the past two years. Those eyes… had the same intensity as the little pest standing in front of him. And coincidentally, this girl has just ruined his plans likewise.

“I can't accept this!” Ghetsis roared, his temper barely under control, “This isn't possible! I can't be bested by fools who can't even use Pokemon correctly!”

N was watching the whole scene unfold before him. Watching how Mei was cool and collected throughout this entire ordeal, watching how she treated her Pokemon with love and compassion, and watching his Father losing again. This was it. This was time for N to speak to his Father and talk some sense to him. And maybe, right his wrongs, change him for the better.

_To err is human, after all_, he heard Reshiram speak, calming N’s racing heart with its wise words. He took a deep breath before addressing the man before him, “It's hard to call you this, but… Father!”

Ghetsis flinched, the anger flowing in his blood stopping momentarily, as though a dam had been put in place. “You… still call me Father?”

N did not hesitate. “Of course,” he replied before he could register what he had just said. N continued, his mouth moving on its own as he spoke, “You saved me when I was dying of cold and starvation in the woods. I’ve got more than enough happiness, not just the chance to live.” N’s posture has relaxed as he began to feel something he had never felt towards his Father: forgiveness. The feeling of no longer resenting someone and forgiving them was liberating. Touko and Alder had taught him that, as well as how to move on from past mistakes. Travelling for the past two years, he has learned more about how to forgive and educate Trainers who were mistreating their Pokemon. Now, N’s mind was free from resentment, his soul light and his heart strong.

“The paths we aimed for separated, but…” he gazed up and looked at his Father with kind eyes, “I’m grateful to you, and my love for you as my Father hasn’t changed. But please understand. Pokemon are not tools. Pokemon and humans take each other to greater heights. They are our wonderful partners. Some humans understand this. Why can't you?”

There was a long silence as Ghetsis and N stared at one another. Ghetsis had a blank look on his face, trying to comprehend N’s words. _Father… Father…_ the word echoed loudly in his mind. He couldn’t take it. No… he refused to listen anymore. No one humane enough could possibly understand Pokemon. This… creature standing before him. How dare he tried to educate me, the rightful ruler of Unova. How. Dare. He.

Anger curled hot and unstoppable in his gut, like a blazing inferno that wanted to burn him from the inside out. Ghetsis’s face contorted into something of a monster. He saw white and snapped. “Shut your mouth! Shut up! Shut up! Shut UP! Don't talk like a person, you freak! No real person could talk to Pokemon!” he seethed, his knuckles white from clenching his fist too hard, his face red with barely suppressed anger as his teeth gritted.

Just as Ghetsis was about to make a lunge for N, a Shadow Triad man visualised into sight, standing in front of Ghetsis and holding him down. He wheezed with exertion as Ghetsis trashed against him, hurling something incoherent, “Lord Ghetsis has… lost control… We’ll take it from here…”

N was taken aback by his Father’s outburst. He shakily blew out a sigh, “OK… Without Father, Team Plasma is…”

The Shadow Triad nodded slowly. There was no need to continue his sentence. “Farewell…”

And with that final exchange, both Ghetsis and the Shadow Triad disappeared, leaving behind his cane which was still firmly stuck to the ground. N could finally breathe; all the muscles in his body relaxing at once as the tension he felt these past few weeks vanished.

He took a few steps towards Mei, who had been silent this whole time after her battle with Ghetsis, obviously still trying to cope with everything that had happened. N gave her a warm smile as he addressed her, “On behalf of everyone… Thank you. Kyurem is fine. Now, it has lost its power, but it will come here again.”

_Thank you, young Hero Mei, _Reshiram said, as it flapped its wings and made a low sound.

Mei looked up in awe at the huge white dragon which she has only heard about in legends. “What’s it saying?” she asked, regarding the dragon with curiously and trepidation.

N looked back at Reshiram, which was grinning at him. “Reshiram says thank you as well!” he nodded at it and turned back to face Mei, his voice becoming shy, “That's right... I can talk with Pokemon.”

Mei widened her eyes. “Whoa, that’s really really cool! Um, N was it?” She asked and the man nodded in respond. Mei bowed as she thanked him, “Thank you for saving me earlier! I really wouldn’t be standing here right now and savouring the fact that Team Plasma has disbanded if it weren’t for you and Reshiram!”

N beamed with pleasure. He shook his head and replied, “No problem. I should also thank you for helping me save Reshiram just now!”

He turned to face the right side of the cave, pondering for a moment before deciding to speak again and share his thoughts with this Trainer before him, “On that day two years ago, a certain Trainer and Alder taught me something… By accepting different ideas, this world creates a different chemical reaction… So, I met many different Pokemon and people and heard so much… And that's how my world quietly grew bigger…” he articulated as Mei listened intently to what the Hero of Truth had to say. N began to grasp his pendant lightly as he looked down and murmured, “By being with Pokemon, humans can continue toward new horizons. By being with humans, Pokemon can exhibit their true power.” He turned around slowly to face Reshiram as he continued, “That’s what Reshiram taught me: the truth or Pokémon and me. And someday both truth and ideals will come together… Then Pokemon and humans will be freed from the oppression of Pokeballs.”

He had turned back to face Mei and studied her. She had the same fiery determination as Touko in her blue eyes when she fought with his Father. But the flames in her eyes had smouldered, as she regarded N with kindness and gratitude. She wasn’t just nice to people; throughout her battle with White Kyurem and Ghetsis, N had heard the voices of her Pokemon, who fought courageously against their enemies. He heard their cries of pain and victory, but more importantly, he heard their faith in Mei. That was enough for N to conclude that Mei was an excellent Trainer with a kind heart. She reminded him of Touko.

He took another step towards her and asked, “You! What are you and your Pokemon striving for? You should head to the Pokemon League and put your truths to the test!”

Mei nodded excitedly as she responded with an edge of confidence in her voice, “I plan to do exactly that! I’ll do my best!”

N flashed a crooked smile as he pulled his cap down. “That’s good to hear. I… have to go now. I still have some business to settle. I hope we can meet again.” He stretched his hand out in a handshake, which Mei graciously took and shook his hand firmly. N then climbed onto Reshiram, which promptly took off and flew out of the Giant Chasm with a loud rumble.

As Reshiram exited the cave, N was greeted with a different scene than earlier. There were many policemen in the area, arresting the Team Plasma grunts and leading them to the various police helicopters parked around the humongous Plasma Frigate. Up till now, N had no idea how Ghetsis obtained or assembled a sail ship of that size.

“Lord N!”

Both N and his partner shifted their attention downwards towards Rood, who was waving cheerfully at him, along with the other Team Plasma members who were on Rood’s side. Reshiram landed gracefully and lowered its body for N to get off. Rood engulfed N in a tight hug at once as the Team Plasma members gathered around them, cheering and clapping. “You’re safe, Lord N! Oh, I was so worried!” Rood shuddered against N’s frame as he squeezed his former king even more tightly, rendering N nearly breathless.

“R-Rood… Yes, I’m all good, no worries,” N replied finally after Rood let go and scanned N from head to toe. Rood proudly beamed at N. “You’ve grown so much, my Lord. Physically, mentally and emotionally. I’m so happy for you,” Rood gushed and reached out to squeeze N’s hand. N blushed as he chuckled, “Rood… you don’t have to call me ‘Lord N’. Just N will do. And thank you, Rood. For actively continuing my mission in Unova and helping mistreated or abandoned Pokemon. I really, really appreciate it.”

Rood’s jaw dropped open. “H-How did… How did you know about that?”

N shuffled his feet as he looked down on the ground shyly before confessing, “I… I arrived in Unova about a month ago and I passed by the safehouse in Driftveil and even walked past you in my disguise. I overheard all about what you and the ‘old’ Team Plasma members were up to.”

Rood gave N a warm smile. “Oh, it’s nothing, Lord N. We shall continue to do so. And, now that you’re here… maybe you could help us sometimes?”

N nodded enthusiastically and clasped his hand over Rood’s. Rood cleared his throat and turned to face the Plasma Frigate. “Well, I need to help the police capture the remaining grunts and ensure that every single one of them is arrested and thrown behind bars. Ghetsis has already been arrested, rest assured. But your brother… I’m not sure what will happen to him. Maybe you should go check up on him?” Rood said and bid N farewell with one last embrace.

Hastily, N boarded the Plasma Frigate, leaving Reshiram behind in the open to unfreeze the icy and uneven ground caused by Kyurem. He remembered how to get to Colress’s room, but as he entered the door, his brother wasn’t there. An unsettling feeling began welling inside him as he exited his room. Was Colress already arrested? Was he too late?

He tossed out Zoroark’s Pokeball. The gray-coated fox-like Pokemon appeared and cocked its head to the side.

“Zoroark, I’m so sorry to ask but could you help me sniff out my brother’s scent? Please,” he pleaded, flustered. As Zoroark sniffed the air, N prayed hard that his brother was still on this ship, and that N could defend his brother before he got wrongly arrested.

_He’s still here! _Zoroark barked and N sagged with relief. “Lead me to him, please.”

After navigating the ship for a short while, N and Zoroark stepped onto a green warp panel and came face-to-face with Colress, who was squatting in the middle of the main control room, healing his fainted Pokemon. N returned Zoroark and dashed up to his brother, before tackling him down with a hug.

“Whoa, whoa! N!” Colress exclaimed in surprise as N grinned at his brother. N got off Colress and pulled him up. Colress’s Magnezone, who knew N since it was a Magnemite, buzzed in delight. N lightly stroked the Pokemon’s metallic body as he regarded his brother, “Colress, are you OK?”

Colress snorted. “Better than ever. Ghetsis has been arrested, that’s all the reason I need to throw a party.”

N bit back his laughter. “No, no. I mean – the police are here. Why aren’t you…” He faltered.

His brother shrugged. “Well, not all of the Team Plasma grunts actually agree with Ghetsis’s ideology. I don’t. I am down for interrogation with the police but first, they told me to pilot this ship and park it somewhere else without disrupting any sort of natural ecology. They also said they would not throw me behind bars because… well… M-Mei… she spoke up for me. I don’t know when and why but yeah, that’s all the police told me.”

A hint of a smile ghosted N’s lips as he elbowed his brother’s arm playfully. Colress shot him a scowl and N laughed. “You should go thank her, then. I think I saw her exiting the cave with a few policemen earlier. She’s probably still here-“

“N-No!” Colress shouted a bit too loudly, earning a curious look from his brother who cocked his head to the side. Colress sighed. “She… I don’t think she wants to see me. Not after I lied to her,” he shot his brother a sad smile as N squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. “What happened?” N prompted.

Colress ran a hand through his hair before he spoke, “It’s complicated, but long story short, I have never told Mei about my involvement in Team Plasma. So, she came onto this ship to take down Team Plasma and suddenly, she comes face-to-face with me, the new leader of Team Plasma. Imagine how betrayed she must have felt. I felt incredibly guilty– heck, I’m still feeling guilt-ridden now.”

N knew exactly what his brother was going through. Two years ago, on a Ferris Wheel in Nimbasa City, N announced to Touko rather unexpectedly that he was the king of Team Plasma, and even proposed the idea to Touko that she could join his side to liberate Pokemon. It was no surprise that Touko did not take the sudden confession well.

He gave his brother a sad smile. “I know exactly what that feels like; lying to someone you like.”

Colress’s face grew red. “W-What? Like? No, no. I- uh, no, I don’t ‘like’ Mei. That’s ridiculous,” he stammered with embarrassment and quickly changed the topic of focus when he saw how N’s cheeky grin grew wider, “So! Uh, I guess you really like Touko, huh?”

N was not ashamed of his feelings for the Hero of Ideals. He shot his brother a faint smile and chuckled, “I know you care for Mei. Give her some time. She’ll come back to you; I promise. Now…” N gazed at the many screens in the room they were at. “Let’s fly this ship somewhere else. I don’t like the fact that this ridiculously huge ship is destroying many of the Pokemon’s homes here.”

Colress nodded in agreement. It took him sometime to ready the ship for take-off but eventually, the engines were up and running. In a matter on minutes, the ship was slowly ascending into the orange-red skies. The ship flew off into the sunset; the big orange ball slowly going down, setting into the horizon and making the sky absolutely stunning. A sunset was the perfect conclusion to the day – the silky, smooth collusion of sky burst reds and yellows into the calm of night descending upon Unova.

The two brothers were quiet as the Plasma Frigate flew further away from the Giant Chasm, both admiring the sunset. N cleared his throat before asking, “Any idea where to park this junk?”

Colress smiled humourlessly as he replied, “I do, actually. Do you remember the little deserted island on Route 17 where Ghetsis told us he had built Team Plasma's secret lab? I could dock the Plasma Frigate next to said island.”

N agreed. He had remembered that there was small building in the south-eastern part of Unova that was secretly built and used by Team Plasma for research which he had no clue about. In fact, he had almost completely forgotten about that building, which was also known as P2 Laboratory.

The journey there took them about an hour or so. During that time, both brothers managed to catch up with one another. N learned more about Mei and even more changes that has happened in Unova, while Colress listened intently to N’s countless stories of his adventures in the many different regions he had explored in.

By the time Colress had parked the Plasma Frigate at the deserted island, darkness has already descended all over the region. N decided to spend the night with his brother as both set up camp outside the ship, marvelling at the night sky filled with stars. It has been a long time since the brothers got to do something like that without the burden of their responsibilities holding them down.

“What are you planning to do next?” Colress asked quietly, as his brother laid beside him on his sleeping bag.

N thought for a moment, before he made his decision. He knew where he was going to next – the place where a castle fell two years ago. The place where he grew up for all his life at and lost everything two years ago. The place where he last saw her.

N’s castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiii sorry for the late update !! i was busy with university applications (and also playing a bit too much on my switch oops) so thank you all for being patient with me! as usual, i hope you guys will enjoy this chapter :) idk when the next chapter will be out haha,,, hopefully soon? :-)


	10. N's Castle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> N has a plan to venture through Victory Road to search for the ruins of his castle. On his way there, he meets a familiar face, who challenges him to a battle. Eventually, he discovers his castle, where we recalls the fateful battle two years ago...

It has been a week since the confrontation with Ghetsis and Kyurem at the Giant Chasm has happened. Throughout the week, Colress was brought in and out for questioning by the police, as well as N, who had to recount the entire event that has happened in the Giant Chasm with his Father repeatedly, shuddered whenever he did. The case was still ongoing, but both brothers were given the reassurance that their Father would be imprisoned for a lifetime. A small part of N experienced a tinge of sadness – he had lost his father figure. Well, Ghetsis wasn’t really a Father to him in the first place, but now N felt more… independent somehow. And alone. It was nothing like he has ever felt before.

N was the first to be released from the interrogation. His brother, as N had found out later, was to do community work for about a month. He was mostly to help clear the destruction in the Giant Chasm caused by the Plasma Frigate, along with those Team Plasma grunts who were found to not be brainwashed by Ghetsis’s ideology and were merely following orders.

As N waved goodbye to Colress, who was on his way to start clearing up the mess in the Giant Chasm, N went to a secluded forest nearby and sent out Reshiram. “My friend, how are you?” He asked, watching as his partner scanned its surroundings for a few seconds before deciding it was safe.

_Never been better, _it replied as it hunched down to nab some Sitrus Berries from a tree beside it. _I heard that your Father has been sentenced behind bars for a lifetime; how do you feel about that? _

N placed a hand to the side of his cap as he answered truthfully, “I am mostly relieved and also… Well, yes, just relieved, I guess. Can’t say that I’m entirely happy though. A really small part of me feels… melancholic somehow. And lonely. Which doesn’t make sense to me. I can’t understand myself.”

_Hero, you may not see this in you but I do – you still have love towards your Father. And that is called filial piety, which means having virtue of respect for your Father despite the way he has treated you. It is a good quality to have, Hero, _Reshiram reassured N, its mouth curling upwards as if to smile.

N sighed. “I… I guess so, huh…” He looked up at the brilliant red and orange sky with little strips of white scattered all over. It was a beautiful evening as the yellow ball of fire changed to hues of orange, and then almost tangerine. The clouds were cotton-candy, and blushed at the warm touch of the sun. Silhouettes of birds flew home across a sky that was now magenta. N had spent most of the day at the police station located at Nimbasa City, and has retreated back to his safe and secret spot in the Lostlorn Forest. He watched as Zoroark pranced around the open field, chasing after a wild Emolga and barking with joy. Reshiram had shifted to another spot where there were no trees and laid down, basking in the setting sun, its fur blanketed in orange colour from the sun rays. It has been a busy week for N as he was brought in and out for questioning which both physically and mentally exhausted him. Recalling unpleasant memories about his Father was certainly not something he particularly enjoyed doing this frequently. He was also forced to recall the whole incident that happened on that day two years ago when his castle rose up from the ground and he battled it out with the Hero of Ideals to decide the fate of the Unova region. It suddenly occurred to N that he hasn’t had the chance to make a trip to his castle. Now was the perfect time since all his memories were still fresh and crystal clear in his mind.

He got up quickly, suddenly giddy with many emotions. Both his Pokemon perked up at his movement, cocking their heads to the side as they watched him pacing around.

“Reshiram,” he spoke suddenly. The white dragon was immediately on its feet, its arms stretched high above, flaring out into a more wing-like appearance. “I… Bring me to Victory Road. I would like to pay my castle a visit.”

_As you wish,_ Reshiram replied. N got onto Reshiram after deciding to let Zoroark roam about itself in the forest, as it has been a while since it was last here. With a quick wave, N and Reshiram were off, gliding smoothly in the sky as the white-coloured, bipedal Pokemon flew North-East towards the Pokemon League. N looked down and watched as they passed by various cities, the lights glittering everywhere like tiny specks below him, just like stars dropping to the earth. Tall and small buildings collided in a mixture of shadow and geometry; tiny vehicles rushing along tangled lines of streets creating twisting threads of light - they all intertwined together in a magnificent mess of dream. Above him, the sky was black tranquillity married to a poetry of stars. It was the softness that called the body and brain to rest and let the heart go to its steady rhythm.

They flew over Opelucid City and was planning on continuing North when N saw that Victory Road was destroyed in what seems like a landslide. It was a barren wasteland, with rocks, earth and debris destroying most of what used to be the Victory Road of the Unova region. N felt guilt punched him squarely in the gut. The rising movement of his castle from the ground most probably triggered earthquakes around the Pokemon League, thus causing a landslide to occur and destroying so many habitats, as well as possibly taking innocent human lives as well.

“Oh Arceus… this is horrible…” N whispered under his breath as he took in the scene before him and then burying his face into his hands. “How could I have been so incredibly narrow-minded and selfish? What was I thinking?”

Reshiram was silent for a moment before slowly speaking to its Trainer, _Hero… Let’s find another way to get to the Pokemon League. Or perhaps we should call it a day and try to find another way tomorrow if you are not feeling well._

N shook his head as he inhaled and exhaled deeply, the scent of the earth mixed with dying vegetation filling his nose as he muttered, “I’m fine. We should find a safer way to get there as it’s dangerous for you to land here.” He paused for a moment, recalling what he had heard from Mei’s friend with the dark blue spiky hair back at the Giant Chasm when Mei exited the cave. If he had overheard correctly, there was another route and another Victory Road constructed which led to the Pokemon League. The route should be to the West of the Giant Chasm.

“My friend, please head to the Giant Chasm and then fly West from there and land on that route,” N commanded and gave Reshiram’s back a light pat. Reshiram was hesitant. _Are you sure you would still like to proceed? _

“Yes, please,” he insisted. He grabbed onto its fur as Reshiram began flying more quickly towards the direction of the Giant Chasm.

The familiar sight of the Giant Chasm and its large impact crater surrounded by a maze-like forest came into view shortly as Reshiram flew over it and headed West. The memories of the confrontation with Ghetsis and Kyurem burned brightly at the back of his mind as N tried to dismiss them, willing those awful memories to retreat back into the hazy part of his head.

_We’re here, _Reshiram’s voice rung in his head and broke him out of his reverie. His friend has landed in what was now known as Route 23. It appeared to be a mountain-like road, with many mountainous features, such as ponds and crevasses. N got off his Pokemon in one swift action, thanking his friend before returning it back to its Pokeball.

N carefully made his way through the narrow paths between trees and the several raised platforms as he climbed higher up the route, occasionally encountering Trainers with strong Pokemon who were itching for a fight even at this time.

It was no surprise now that the former king of Team Plasma has returned since the incident at the Giant Chasm had happened about a week ago. N’s face was printed on every newspaper headline in Unova and perhaps even in other regions; his actions glorified and painted thankfully in a good light as both Mei and himself are now portrayed as the new saviours of Unova. Despite all that media attention on him, he gets the same reaction whenever he sends out the legendary Pokemon of the Unova region to battle against his opponents: eyes widening in shock, awe and disbelief, before realisation finally dawning upon his opponents’ faces as they noticed who they were facing, since it was harder to identify him in the darkness of the night.

Reshiram easily took down all of the Trainers who wanted to fight N. It was no problem at all for N to swiftly find his way to the top of the mountain-like route after climbing and crossing several flights of stairs and raised platforms. N scaled the last flight of stairs up Route 23 to Victory Road, and was greeted with a new Badge Check Gates. It was a long black-and-white hallway stretching from east to west, with eight pairs of pillars representing and in the shape of each of the current eight Badges of Unova.

N fished out his eight Gym badges from the pocket of his beige pants and stared at them for a moment. The memories behind these badges were insignificant – back then, he didn’t give much thought about Gym battles and just saw them as obstacles to his goal of liberating Pokemon. He had a wistful expression on his face and was about to take a step forward to pass through the gates when he heard a familiar voice sounding from behind him, making him spin around quickly on his heels.

“C’mon Serperior! We’re almost there! Just a few more steps…”

The Trainer’s voice trailed off as she slowed down and came to a stop a few feet away from the man with green hair and a black and white cap. Her eyes widened in recognition. “You’re…!”

“You came…” N spoke bemusedly, regarding Mei with a small friendly smile. He wasn’t expecting to meet anyone he knew at this time of the night. _So, she has been spending a week training here, huh…_

Mei gave a small wave as Serperior slithered up to N, coiling around his feet and hissing joyfully. N rubbed its chin and murmured something inaudible to Mei to her Grass-type Pokemon. “Yup, I’ve been training here for a while. I’m about to head on to Victory Road.”

“The Pokemon League is just past Victory Road,” N remarked, tilting his head towards the Badge Check Gates before him. This girl and the aura of confidence surrounding her was admirable – N was sure that Mei could most likely become the new champion of the Unova region, which he wholeheartedly approved of.

N had absentmindedly begun to speak again, “Pokemon battles do nothing more than hurt Pokemon... That's how I understood it, and that's why I hated battles. But it's not that simple.” He paused for a moment and looked at Mei’s Serperior which had slithered back to Mei’s side, appearing much stronger than it used to back at Giant Chasm. He nodded with a small smile before continuing, “That's right! Accepting different ideas – different beings – changes the world like a chemical reaction! Pokemon battles are like a catalyst: a small component that leads to big changes!” He held out his friend’s Pokeball and gazed at it. “My friend Reshiram taught me that... And it's the formula I've derived from traveling the world. I want you to think for yourself what it means,” he addressed Mei, who was staring earnestly at him, taking in his words and reflecting upon them.

N shot Mei and her Serperior a charming smile as he placed Reshiram’s Pokeball back into his pocket, “If it's your Pokemon and you… You will get past the Pokemon League and recognize your own truth! That’s what I see in store for you! Good luck, Trainer Mei.” And with that, he waved and began walking towards the Pokemon League.

“Wait!”

Mei’s voice stopped N in his tracks. He spun around and saw that Mei has returned her Serperior back into its Pokeball and was jogging up to him. He cocked his head to the side in amusement and curiosity. “What is it?” He asked.

Mei began hesitantly, “Um… I was wondering if you… would like to battle me?”

N was speechless. His eyes widened in surprise as he stared at her without blinking. This sudden request from Mei was unforeseen by him; he had never expected her to ask of such a thing from him.

N was gradually aware that he has not uttered a single word yet in response to that question. “Are you sure?” he blurted out, bewildered. 

She nodded and blushed. “Well, I mean… if you don’t mind of course!”

N shook his head. “My pleasure, Mei. I will be using my Reshiram, is that alright with you?”

It was quickly established that it was to be a one-on-one battle. Reshiram was out of its Pokeball and ready to fight the Trainer before it. Mei had requested for N to go all out against her Pokemon as she sent out her Flygon to face her strongest opponent yet, much to N’s amazement. He couldn’t hide his excitement and grinned as he watched both Pokemon ready themselves, the tension between them buzzing in the air. The battle commenced and N let Mei have the first move. It was a tough battle – both sides fought valiantly. Flygon was able to deal massive damage to the Dragon and Fire type Pokemon with its Dragon Claw and Earthquake, but Reshiram’s sheer power and strength were just too much for Flygon to take eventually. “Reshiram, it’s time to end this! Dragon Pulse!”

With a menacing roar and one last push, Reshiram unleashed a multicoloured dragon-shaped beam of energy from its mouth towards Flygon, which was about to dodge the attack but couldn’t move in time. Flygon was instantly knocked out and the battle was over. Reshiram was slightly heaving with exertion as it returned to N’s side. “Well done and thank you for the excellent battle my friend,” N praised and returned Reshiram to its Pokeball to rest. He walked briskly to Mei’s side and knelt down beside Flygon, placing a hand on its body. “Here, have this berry to heal your strength, my friend. You fought courageously,” he murmured and handed the exhausted Flygon a Sitrus Berry, which it gratefully accepted and consumed within seconds. N stood up and stretched his hand out to Mei in a handshake. “That was a close battle. Thank you for showing me the bond between you and your Flygon. I hope you will emerge victorious in your Pokemon League challenge. I’ll be cheering you on! Until then, Mei.”

Mei blushed shyly and shook his hand firmly. “T-Thank you! See you soon, N! Let’s have a rematch the next time we meet!”

And she was off. N watched as Mei ran off; her pigtails streaking behind her as she raced through the Badge Check Gates, her figure gradually becoming smaller before disappearing entirely once she got far enough into the Victory Road.

_That was an eyeopener_, N thought to himself as he made his way through the Badge Check Gates and eventually reaching the Pokemon Center located just beside the entrance of Victory Road. He trudged in and healed up his Pokemon and took a short breather as he waited for Nurse Joy to be finished, before making his way to his destination: Victory Road.

The entrance to Victory Road proper was through a wide flight of stairs going down, just west of the Pokemon Center. Above it can be seen the wall of what seems to be a castle-like building, which N presumed to be a part of his castle. He proceeded down the flight of stairs and found himself staring at what appeared to be the ruins of his castle, which were built over an underground river with many twists and turns.

It was a tiring journey. N was well into the night as he battled relentlessly against the few Trainers and many wild Pokemon he encountered. Since N has never been inside this new Victory Road, it took him several hours to navigate through it in the darkness until finally, he arrived at a large cavern behind some dark grass.

He hadn’t realised exactly how long he took to search for an entrance into his castle until he stopped outside this particular cave to catch his breath. The sun has started to rise as a canopy of gold, bright amid the blue, bidding the stars to take their nightly rest. As darkness surrendered, every colour changed from tinges of charcoal to a vibrancy – it was as if night and day had become one beautiful moment. Dawn had come. N stopped for a moment to admire the beautiful view before him, watching as the golden orb slowly peeked out from the horizons and inched its way into the sky. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. The rays didn’t just bring brilliant colours to energize his sagging spirit, they are warm and made him felt _alive_.

_Time to inspect this cave next_, N mused wryly, sighing internally before entering the cave, his eyes taking a few seconds adjusting to the dimness of his surroundings.

When his view came into focused, he immediately noticed the extremely long flight of stairs down, leading to a much deeper part of the cave. His eyes widened when he recognised where this flight of stairs had come from. It was one of the many flights of stairs that attached themselves to the Pokemon League shortly after the castle rose from the ground two years ago on N’s command. His stomach lurched painfully upon that memory.

With much caution, he precariously made his way down the steps, all the way praying that they would not give way under his weight. He stared at the remnants of what used to be his grand castle with a blank expression as he willed himself to walk in a straight line down without falling off the stairs. The exterior of the castle was now covered with layers of dust and soil, with deep cracks stretching and covering most parts of the underground castle. N felt a tinge of what felt like sadness to him deep in his heart. This castle – or what used to be of it – was where he had spent the majority of his childhood. Even though most his recollection was tainted with the unpleasant face of his Father, he still had his own share of fun in this very place he used to call home. Seeing his home in this shape – abandoned, forgotten and crumbling – evoked some sort of sorrow in him.

He entered the castle after hesitating at its entrance for a few seconds. Surprisingly, the castle was partially lit due to the sun’s rays leaking in through the many cracks and even holes in the building’s walls and ceilings. The castle’s flooring, albeit covered by a layer of dust and rubble, still managed to look polished and shiny underneath all that debris. N carefully maneuvered around the broken marble pillars and made his way deeper into the castle slowly and deliberately, taking in all the details of his home.

The first room he came across was his room. The room was dim as no sunlight had managed to creep in. His room, which was covered in a childish cloud wallpaper and floor covering for as long as he could remember, was in a mess. The many toys he had were strewn about the area. The basketball hoop which looked like it had been chewed up by some Pokemon has toppled onto the ground, with his partly deflated basketball just metres away from it. The dartboard and the paintings on his wall have also fallen down and laid at the back of his room, covered in dust.

It was all too much for the young man to take. The memories he had in this very room swarmed in his head as N grabbed the sides of his head and squeezed his eyes shut. The blood, the cries and the pungent smell of those abused Pokemon flooded his senses as he felt the panic began like a cluster of spark plugs in his abdomen. Tension grew in his face and limbs as his breathing became more rapid, shallower. He collapsed onto the floor on his knees, begging himself to stay calm.

_N! I’m here with you. Take deep breathes and calm down, _he heard Reshiram’s voice echoing in his head as he felt salty tears slid down his cheeks and dripping onto the floor below him. There he stayed, unaware of the passing morning until he found the feelings had passed. Opening his eyes to his room, he gazed at the clouds on the walls, brilliant white against the blue.

_Thank you Reshiram… my friend… _

N slowly got up from the ground and shakily shuffled out of the room, leaning against the wall outside, catching his breath and practicing his breathing tactics whenever he had a panic attack. 

He decided he wouldn’t go back in there anymore unless necessary. He gritted his teeth and continued to venture deeper into the castle at his own pace as he studied and scanned the interior of the castle. Most of the rooms were either inaccessible or destroyed – all except one.

N did not feel the same sense of dread when he entered this room. Instead, he felt his heart fluttered in his chest when he entered his throne room. The ceiling above of the throne room had a huge circular hole, which casted a halo in middle of the room. He stepped into the halo and closed his eyes, soaking up the warmness of the morning sun. The recollection of his battle with her flashed behind his closed eyelids as he remembered the way she looked, how she battled him and how harmoniously her voice and the voices of her Pokemon sounded.

Maybe he would stay here for a bit, he thought to himself with a faint smile below his cap. He sent out Reshiram and told it to fly back to Zoroark and pass on the message from N that he wanted Zoroark to guard the cave entrance leading to his castle. He did not want anyone unwanted to trespass this place while he was here. He wanted to be alone.

Reshiram understood its partner. It asked if N would be alright here once more before it took off to the skies, flying out through the gap in the ceiling. N went up to his throne and sat on it despite its rockiness. He needed sleep. He closed his eyes and gradually drifted into consciousness. The world behind those closed eyes world was a blur, all except for her. She was shining bright as the images of her permeated every part of his thoughts. He knew that sooner or later he would need to wake up when both his friends were back. To stare reality in the face. But for now, he slumped back and rested his heavy head behind his throne, and retreated into wallowing blackness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys!! this chapter is finally out haha thank you for being patient! and also, please stay safe friends :(( and remain calm!! since many are quarantined, i think ao3 has become mostly everyone's best friend hahaaha anyways pls pls wash ur hands frequently !!! :)


	11. We Meet Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> N has new personal goals to achieve after the Giant Chasm incident. He has decided that the new Champion of Unova, Champion Mei, was to be his successor in sharing his view of helping to improve the relationships between Pokemon and humans in the Unova region.

“Unova has a new Champion!” The huge letters on the massive LED display above him screamed, the clashing colours and the sheer brightness of the screen jarring on his eyes.

This news came as no surprise to N, who has already predicted that Mei would become the new Pokemon Champion ever since he battled her outside the Badge Check Gates at Victory Road about two weeks ago. Nonetheless, he felt happy for her – proud, even. He fully approved of the new Unova’s Champion as he was aware of Mei’s strength in Pokemon battling, as well as her tenderness towards Pokemon.

He glanced away quickly from the screen and continued to make his way up north of Castelia City, a city which was constantly bustling with life. He had initially planned to ask Reshiram to land at Nimbasa City, but decided to make a quick stop at the heart of the Unova region: Castelia City – a huge, sprawling metropolis sporting many towering skyscrapers and other tall buildings. It has been two whole years since he was last in Unova, and there was something he missed just slightly less than Touko: Casteliacones.

N approached the street where the popular ice cream stand was, and had expected to be greeted by a long, snaking queue in front of the stand. When he first saw Touko holding a Casteliacone and walking away from the ice cream stall grinning from ear to ear, he was curious. _Does… the cream she’s licking off from a cone taste that good?_ Due to the Casteliacones’ popularity, the line for the famous sweet was insanely long, forcing N to queue for a much longer time than intended before he got to try the delectable treat.

Much to his surprise, there was no one queueing up at the stand. It appears that the ice cream has diminished in popularity, or was it because he had chosen the right day to patronize the store? _Do people’s taste buds change over time? How strange…_ N thought to himself as he ambled towards the shop, letting out a sigh of relief.

N swiftly bought a Casteliacone, fearing that he would not be able to get his hands on it if he waited any sooner. One lick of the ice cream had him grinning widely as the creamy dessert melted in his mouth, the frostiness cooling and pooling into a puddle of sweetness on his tongue. The irresistible and rich flavour of the ice cream left N wanting more; each lick turned to bites and before he knew it, he had finished the cold treat in a mere minute. Oh, how he had missed this delightful dessert. It was as tasty as he remembered it to be.

The moon and stars shone brightly above the passing clouds of ink when N arrived at his original destination, Nimbasa City. In contrast to Castelia City, which is the heart of business and economy in the region, Nimbasa serves as the heart of leisure and entertainment. Nimbasa City was well known for its grand-scale landmarks such as the Musical Theater, Gear Station, Big Stadium and Small Court, and last but not least, the Rondez-View Ferris Wheel – N’s favourite place to be.

The Ferris Wheel was still in operation when N entered the amusement park, its bright lights beckoning at him. His legs moved on their own accord as he slowly made his way through the crowd of people, towards the tallest attraction in the park.

“Are you taking this ride alone?” the worker standing in front of the ride drawled, eyeing the lonesome man with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes,” N replied curtly, pulling his cap down to hide his face. The man shrugged and led him into an empty carriage, closing the door securely before signalling to his co-worker in the control room that this carriage was ready to be lifted.

The metal carriage slowly inched off the ground and the noise of the amusement park faded away, replaced by the familiar squeaking from the metal parts of the Ferris Wheel. N gazed out of the tiny carriage meant for two, watching how the scenery began to stretch as far as his eye could see.

Today was one of those days when N wanted to recall memories of her. He had been moving in and out of his abandoned castle for the past few weeks, rescuing Pokemon who had somehow found themselves in his castle or merely just wanting an escape from reality. After a tiring day of flying back and forth on his friend’s back, he wanted some time alone.

N looked at the empty seat opposite him. He sighed. _This sure does bring back memories… _

_“I am the king of Team Plasma.” _

_Those words echoed around the carriage that has stopped momentarily at the highest point of the Ferris Wheel, swaying and creaking in the wind. There was a lengthy silence between them. He studied her reaction carefully – eyes wide and burning holes into the ground, her back completely straight as every part of her goes on pause. She slowly looked up at him, her mouth still parted in shock. _

_“Y-You… You w-what?” she stuttered as she inched further away from him, her back pressed against the metallic walls of the carriage. She began glancing around her surroundings – the locked doors, the windows which were a few hundred feet above the ground, and decided that there was no way she was going to get out. She was trapped with a member – no, the KING of Team Plasma. How could she be so stupid to be fooled by him? Was he going to kill her now? Was she going to… die? _

_He decided to ignore her remarks. “Ghetsis asked me to work with him to save Pokemon. I wonder how many Pokemon exist in this world...” he added absentmindedly and stared wordlessly out of the window with an unreadable expression. _

_The rest of the ride down was silent. He could feel the many conflicting emotions radiating from the girl seated opposite him. He felt a stab of pained emotion in his chest. Yes, he had fooled her. Yes, he wasn’t supposed to reveal his identity too early until now. But, why does his heart feel… he didn’t know how to describe what he was feeling as it was a new emotion. What is this new emotion he was feeling towards her? _

_When they got off the ride, she heaved a huge sigh of relief and rushed out impatiently, pushing past the park attendant, much to his amusement yet confusion. What was she relieved about? That the ride was over? The thought of her not enjoying the ride pained him a little, though he had no clue why. _

_Afterwards, they battled as he wanted to give more time to his Team Plasma grunts to escape. But really, that was a convenient excuse to battle her again and gauge how much she has grown. Much to his disappointment, he was beaten again. He felt a slight annoyance as he returned his fainted Pokemon while she praised hers. Why was he always losing to her? Was there something she had that he didn’t? During the battle… her Pokemon looked happy to be with her…_

_He then realised: this is it. This is what I’ve always longed for. Happy Pokemon. Yes… she is an ideal trainer. She is my equal and opposite – just like ying and yang. I want… her to fight me till the very end with this incredibly talent and this special bond with her Pokemon. I want her to be the other Hero who takes me on. _

_He needed this to do this to confirm his beliefs, which were constantly being swayed by this special Trainer. _

_With a newfound goal ignited in him, he challenged her to take him on and fight him at the Pokemon League. At first, she appeared stunned. Gradually, her expression turned grim and she stared at him, her eyes locked into his. _

_“I accept your challenge. And I’ll defeat you. I’ll make sure of that.” _

The ride passed by quickly. The same park attendant from earlier unlocked his carriage and yanked open the door, the metal squeaking loudly and breaking him out of his daze.

N shifted to a park bench near the Ferris wheel, watching as the gigantic wheel rotated, the unending revolutions of the huge spinning wheel somewhat causing him to feel at ease. _The circular motion… The mechanics… They're like collections of elegant formulas, _he remembered saying those words to Touko, who didn’t seem to quite understand what he meant.

He has spent the last two years travelling around the world and exploring different regions such as the Sinnoh, Johto and Kanto regions. He has met many different kinds of people and Pokemon as he sought to not only understand Pokemon on a deeper level, but as well as the Trainers, and the everlasting bond binding these two factors together. Accepting different beliefs from his own has definitely broaden his horizons. It was a refreshing experience, albeit the initial shock when he saw and heard first-hand how even the Pokemon in other regions loved their Trainers. While he had mostly seen positive relationships, he had also seen some which made him hot with anger. But he has learnt that he ought to educate those Trainers and not force them to treat their Pokemon better. Some of those such Trainers took his advice, while others were embarrassed and retorted back by releasing their Pokemon, which N took upon himself to care for them.

At the same time, he was doing a bit of soul-searching as well – reflecting upon his actions and wondering what and how he can do better when he returns to Unova; what changes will he bring to his _own_ region. _Will the people in Unova even accept me after all that I’ve done? _

Now that he has returned to Unova and made an impact – a far larger impact than he intended – he now has to decide what was his next course of action. For now, he was going to focus on continuing to help Rood and the ex-Team Plasma grunts with their mission of rescuing Pokemon. But what about in the long run? Going around and educating Trainers who mistreat their Pokemon… was that impactful enough? He sighed and leaned against the back rest of the park bench. He needed someone with influence to help him, and carry on his vision. He needed someone who shared his opinions on this matter… someone who understood him. Someone who was kind yet strong. Someone like Touko. He needed…

N jolted upright and snapped his fingers. He needed the new Champion of Unova. 

He decided to head somewhere more secluded to gather his thoughts. N got up and swiftly made his way towards Lostlorn Forest and was greeted by Zoroark, which pranced up to him and pounced on its Trainer. N had also sent out Reshiram to greet Zoroark and the wild Pokemon in the area which came out to greet him – the warm, kind human who understood them. N watched as Zoroark began playfully running around the vast patch of grass with a few nocturnal Pokemon. Reshiram was studying N, who seemed to be in a world of his own and not really paying attention to the Pokemon around him.

His partner and closest travelling companion during those two years was of course his faithful Reshiram, also known as the Vast White legendary Pokemon, which provided him with answers and truths he was constantly seeking. It has lived long enough to provide words of wisdom to its young Hero, and it was happy for N to have grown so much in two years. Having been with him for that long, Reshiram understood N on an emotional level, and was intelligent enough to know what was on N’s mind and his emotions.

_… Hero? _Reshiram probed into N’s mind. N jumped a little in surprise. “Reshiram?” he asked and gazed at the dragon which was lying down on its belly.

_You appear dazed. Is something on your mind that is bothering you? _

N shook his head as Reshiram got up and lumbered towards the Hero before settling down beside N, signalling with its snout for N to lean back against it. He did so, and there were a few moments of silence before he sighed. “I… was thinking about what I should be doing in Unova. I mean, I did a lot more than I had intended to do so – with the Giant Chasm incident and what not. I feel that… defeating my Father was the grand finale. Nothing else could have been more rewarding and impactful as that. I think have a new goal now, my friend.” He sat up and gazed at the starry night sky. “I’m going to keep exploring the world. I want to find her. I need to. I want to thank her for saving me and for broadening my horizons. For teaching and showing me the special and precious bond between Pokemon and Trainers. So…”

_Go on, _Reshiram prompted, sensing hesitation in N, _there’s more you want to say, isn’t there? _

N was quiet for a while, before eventually speaking quietly, “I want you to help Champion Mei with whatever goals she has for Unova. You’ve guided me for the past two years and I’m so grateful for that. But now… I think you need to guide her even more than I need you. I will share my vision with Mei and guide her from time to time but I want you to be there with her. She now has so much power and influence to make Unova a better place for both humans and Pokemon. You should help her, really.”

N turned to face Reshiram, which gave no apparent reaction. It was digesting his words and making sense of them. It understood its duty – to guide humans who was worthy of its acknowledgement to the truth they seek. But somehow, it felt… sorrow, an emotion it hasn’t felt in a long time. Sad that it has to leave its Hero – this young man who could understand it just as it was able to understand him. Unlike any of its past Trainers, N was the first to regard him as a ‘friend’, rather than a weapon of war and destruction. Unlike any of its past masters who used it solely to further their goals of domination because of its strength, N sought advice from its friend and respected its opinions.

But it knew it should respect N’s decision regardless. It understood that he was doing this selflessly, for the sake of Mei and Unova. And N had his own personal goals, too. However, Reshiram could sense the misery radiating from this young man. It knew its Trainer similarly did not want to leave his friend. Duty calls, unfortunately.

_I understand, Hero, _it replied rather sombrely and nudged N’s side with its mouth. He smiled softly at his beloved friend and began stroking the top of its head. “I’ll let Zoroark know about this plan, so that he has time to say goodbye,” N mumbled and decided that he would meet Mei at his castle this week. It was almost time to challenge her again and bid farewell to his closest friend, Reshiram.

* * *

_Two days later _

The curtains added an orange glow to the morning light as the yellow-orange orb of flame rose gradually from the horizon. She breathed in deeply. A new day has begun. The material of her blanket was warm beneath her fingers as she peeled it off her body. As the sun flooded the room, painting the colours anew, she felt a little of those golden rays soak into her skin.

Mei got out of bed and headed to the shower to tidy herself up before racing to the living room. She greeted her mom who gave her a cheery wave. “Morning, dear! How was your sleep?”

“Awesome. I’ve really missed sleeping in my room ever since I set out on my journey!” Mei began grumbling about how uncomfortable sleeping in the wild can be and how some of the Pokemon Centre’s beds were too hard for her comfort. Her mom chuckled as she handed Mei a plate with her breakfast on it.

“So, what are you planning to do today? You’ve been home for more than two weeks since your victory at the Pokemon League which, by the way, I’m still super proud of,” her mom said while grinning, watching her daughter gobble down the contents on her plate and laughed.

“Hmm… I’m not sure. I’ve been pretty busy with the new Champion duties and stuff, and receiving guidance from both Iris and Alder. And catching some new Pokemon to add to the team. Now that that’s done, I think I’ll finally go out on another adventure and explore the eastern parts of Unova.” Mei answered after wiping her mouth clean of bread crumbs.

“Sounds great. Make sure you’ve packed everything you need before you leave!”

Soon, Mei was off. She waved one last time at her mom and closed the front door. She hasn’t taken more than a few steps when suddenly, Hyuu and his little sister came rushing up to her.

“Hey!” he yelled from a distance, waving at her. He stopped a few feet away and bent forward with his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

“Hi, what’s the rush guys?” Mei asked with a puzzled expression.

“My sis,” Hyuu nudged his little sister beside him who appeared sheepish, “has something she wants to tell you.”

Hyuu’s sister stepped forward meekly with her eyes averted to the ground. “Um… Mei… my Purrloin… it evolved, but…” she finally looked up at Mei’s friendly face and smiled shyly, “thank you very much for finding it!”

“There’s more, right?” Hyuu prompted before Mei could even reply to his sister. She shot him an irritated expression before bending to the girl’s level, “Hey, the pleasure’s all mine! Is there something else you would like to tell me?”

“Um… Mei…” the young girl squeaked as she looked down at the gravel once again. “These days, I’ve been having dreams about a Pokemon. A Pokemon called Zoroark.” She looked up at Mei again and continued in a high-pitched voice, “It was calling your name, Mei!”

Zoroark? Mei had questions in her head. She hasn’t known or caught a Zoroark before. But she has seen one at Victory Road, guarding an entrance to a cave there. It refused to budge no matter how hard Mei tried to get past it. She didn’t engage it in a battle as it could be protecting something precious, thus she left it alone. What a weird dream though…

The young girl had returned to Hyuu’s side, who shrugged. “I don’t really get it, but I hear that the Zoroark from her dreams is on Victory Road!”

_Oh. _

“That’s what she wanted to say. Be seeing you!” Hyuu and his sister waved and began walking away in the direction of their house, leaving Mei in a daze. _Huh, what a coincidence. _Perhaps she should pay the Victory Road and the mysterious Zoroark a visit today._ I guess I’ll have to put off my adventure to the East to another day. _

“Oh! Almost forgot,” Hyuu exclaimed and spun around on his heels, causing Mei to jump a little in a surprise.

“Congrats on becoming the Champion!” he beamed and shot his rival a smirk. “I called it! You’ve got good instincts!”

“T-Thanks, Hyuu! Let’s battle again someday!” she waved at him as he turned around and held his sister’s hand, heading back to their house.

Mei wasted no time. She hurriedly sent out Swanna and told her Pokemon to take her to the Pokemon League. The journey there by air took them only minutes and soon, she was greeted by the familiar sight of the structure of the Pokemon League – an ancient building on top of the mountain that was part of Victory Road. Once Swanna had descended, Mei returned it back to its Pokeball and began scaling down the mountainous route of Victory Road, trying to recall where she had seen the fox-like Pokemon. Victory Road was extremely tedious to navigate, much to her annoyance. She didn’t particularly enjoy her journey up this path while fending off wild Pokemon and Trainers. There were so many possible paths to take, so many stairs to climb and so many cavern entrances to choose from. It took her quite some time, but eventually, as she was climbing down a flight of stairs, she heard the grass to her right rustling. She tensed and readied her Pokeball, anticipating a wild Pokemon to pounce right at her, but was taken aback when she saw the Dark-type Pokemon Zoroark instead. _I wasn’t going crazy after all! The dreams were true! _Mei thought as she approached the Zoroark slowly, her Pokeball still in her hand. The Illusion Fox Pokemon stared at her as though it was anticipating her presence, before barking and beckoning at Mei to follow after it. Zoroark began sprinting towards the cave entrance and pointed inside before disappearing into it. Mei jogged up to the entrance and entered the cave a few seconds after it. There, she had to climb down a few flights of stairs before exiting the cave after Zoroark, which was moving so deftly. It seemed to be very familiar with this part of Victory Road, though Mei wondered why.

As both Mei and Zoroark exited the first cave, Zoroark made a sound and pointed at a second cave entrance. Not giving Mei a chance to catch her breath, it swiftly made its way into the next cave. Mei grumbled internally, drained from the long hike she took for the past thirty minutes or so in this treacherous Victory Road. “Wait up…” she heaved weakly as she hobbled after the wild Zoroark which has long melted into the shadows of the second cave ahead.

When her eyes have adjusted to the dimness of the cave, Mei gasped. The sight before her was completely bizarre, nothing she would have ever expected to see inside a seemingly small cave in Victory Road.

There was an extremely long flight of metallic looking stairs a few feet ahead, leading down to a much deeper part of the cave. The flight of creaky-looking stairs was connected to what seemed like a huge castle – or what used to be one. Windows were smashed and the exterior of the castle was run-down, unpolished and covered with layers and layers of dust. Cracks on the outer walls of the castle stretched widely with the gold paint peeling off the walls, exposing a dirty yellow colour undercoat.

“Zorr! Zor!”

Zoroark’s barking finally dragged Mei’s attention to the rundown and collapsing castle. “What… Why did you bring me here?” Mei blurted out.

Zoroark replied by barking, which Mei couldn’t understand. It then scurried away from her and down the precarious-looking stairs which groaned under the fox’s weight. Zoroark didn’t seem to be bothered one bit and vanished into the castle.

Mei hesitated at the foot of the stairs. It seemed… dangerous. What if it collapsed under her weight? Was this how she was going to die – in some random cave hiding a castle that was protected by some Pokemon which called her in others’ dreams?

The whole situation was beguiling. She took a deep breath. _Come on, you can do this. It’s just a flight of old stairs – there’s absolutely nothing to be afraid of._

One step at a time; that was her strategy. She placed one foot on the first step and waited for a few seconds. Then she took another. And another. _Yes! You’re killing it, Mei! _

It wasn’t until she reached the midpoint of the flight of stairs that she began regretting her decision to follow Zoroark. The stairs began to lurch and creak loudly, causing Mei to scream in shock. “H-Help!” she wailed as she began to lose her balance. She squeezed her eyes shut.

Just as she was about to fall off the stairs and into an abyss of darkness below her with god knows what was down there, something caught her and leaped to the other side of the stairs, landing right outside the entrance of the castle.

Mei slowly opened her eyes. She blinked twice, her vision clearing up. Her eyes widened when she saw who rescued her.

Zoroark slowly placed the female teenager on the floor. It smiled mischievously at her as she got up, her knees knocking one another. She dusted off the dust on her behind and tightened her grip on her handbag.

“Y-you saved me… Thank you…” Mei stuttered, still trembling from her near-death experience.

“You came…” a voice ahead echoed. Mei head shot up and her mouth dropped open, too stunned to speak.

Zoroark stood beside the owner of the voice. The man with green eyes returned Zoroark back into its Pokeball after thanking it for leading and saving her.

The man with his signature long chartreuse green hair tied into a low ponytail took a step towards Mei, who was still gawking at him. “Y-You are…” she began as he shot her a warm smile.

“So, we meet again, Champion Mei.”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi !! sorry for the late update (welp this should have been posted early because now everyone is stuck at home but i was really lazy haha,,) ! i hope everyone is surviving at home :--) pls stay healthy guys we will get through this together!


	12. Hot 'n' Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mei arrives at the abandoned base of what used to be Team Plasma's pride and glory. She meets N there and they began to explore the castle together, where they will have a showdown in a room which holds many unforgettable memories in there...

The man before her gestured at their surroundings. “This is Team Plasma’s castle. The ruins of Ghetsis’s dreams.” His voice held no emotions as he spoke.

Mei marvelled at the interior of the castle – the walls and flooring were all covered in dirt but surprisingly, the marbled sapphire blue and gold flooring she was stepping on were still shiny under all that debris. Around her, broken columns were strewn everywhere and she could vaguely hear the sound of water trickling from the ceiling in the eerie silence of this abandoned base.

N suddenly had his hand outstretched in front of Mei. “Congratulations on becoming the Champion, Mei,” he said with a small smile. Mei graciously shook his hand, blushing from his compliment.

N’s posture has relaxed a bit, slowly warming up to his first visitor and the first person he has spoken to in days. “Do you remember our promise at Victory Road? You said we should battle again the next time we met up, didn’t you?”

Her eyes widened. She had been so caught up with her training that this slipped from her mind. Now that he has mentioned it, the memory was jolted back into her mind. “Oh! Um, yeah, I did say that! So…”

N cocked his head towards the direction leading deeper into the secrets that this mysterious and forgotten castle held. “The deepest chamber of this castle... It's a place that holds a special meaning to me… I have to face you there!” He had already begun to take a few steps as he beckoned, “Follow me!”

Just as she was about to follow, the man before her halted to an abrupt stop a few feet ahead of her. “Actually…” he mused, before turning her to face her once again, “Rather than leading you there, I'd prefer to follow. That way, I can see which path you choose and observe what catches your interest. So, I ask this of you! Take me to the deepest chamber of this castle!"

N’s request took her aback. Lead the ex-king around _his_ castle? _Well… if he insists…_

Mei nodded hesitantly. “Sure! I might get lost though…”

He shook his head, laughing softly. “No, you won’t. There are only so many rooms and levels left to explore in this run-down castle. I trust you. You lead, I’ll follow!”

The first room the duo came across was N’s room. N could feel a bile forming up his throat as Mei entered the room carefully, squinting in the darkness.

When her eyes had adjusted to the dimness, Mei could feel chills going down her spine. Lying somewhere at the back of this child-like room was a partially destroyed music box that was producing an out of tune song, causing her to feel very uncomfortable. The room was decorated oddly with toys strewn all over the place. The train set lying nearest to where she stood was destroyed, with the wooden train smashed and dirtied under a basketball hoop. The once-bright orange basketball was now blackened with dirt and soil and was deflated, with tiny creepy crawlies crawling in and out of it. There were a few barely visible unidentified dark red stains on the light blue flooring of the room. _Could that be dried-up blood? _

“This place…” N began as he walked up beside Mei and closed his eyes. He sighed before continuing, “was my world.”. He opened his eyes again and saw shock registering in Mei’s face. This… room that was decorated in such a child-like manner, was the room made for a king? That seemed very strange to her.

N walked up to the deflated basketball and picked it up, shaking it before he returned to Mei, showing her the name written on the ball: “Harmonia”, scribbled in faded black ink. N dropped the ball and both watched as it rolled towards his skateboard ramp before coming to a stop. He turned to face Mei with a somewhat bitter smile. “When I was little, I was abandoned deep in the woods. The ones who took me in and raised me were the Pokemon who lived there.” He paused, allowing the new piece of information about his childhood sink in. He has never told anyone about his upbringing, all except for Touko. He did not know why he was particularly trusting of this Trainer before him, but maybe it was because she was so similar to Touko. Their fierce determination and bravery to fight for what is right, their compassion towards humans and Pokemon, and their strength that lies in their kindness.

Mei did not know how to react to what she had just heard. “I’m sorry…” was all that she could manage as her brows creased. She hated to think of how harsh and terrible it was for a mere child to live alone in a jungle for a prolonged period of time. The thought made her heart ached.

N continued, his expression gradually showing some emotions at last. He was trembling slightly, though Mei did not seem to notice that. “Then, one day, a man appeared, claiming to be my father. That was…”

“Ghetsis…” Mei finished quietly for N. The name sparked fairly different emotions between the two of them, but fear was no doubt a common factor. She could see in N’s ocean-blue eyes glazed with a glassy layer of tears that his mind had built walls, with him so lonely on the other side.

“The things he gave me were… the name "Harmonia"… the knowledge a king would need… Pokemon with their hearts shut so very tightly I couldn't even talk to them… and this room…” It was only for a brief second that his voice cracked and when his eyes flickered to the spot with the dark red stains, but Mei noticed them all. Naturally, she reached out to touch his hand, trying to give some sort of reassurance.

N still was not used to anyone except his brother touching him, let alone a female. He froze, standing completely still, his eyes widening in panic. He flinched away from her, and stuttered, “I… I’ll be outside.”

Mei stared after his figure, puzzled. _I had better go after him, _she thought to herself. She also did not want to prolong her stay in this eerie room. She took one last glance at the room before briskly making her way out. N was nowhere to be seen. She scanned around wildly. “N? Where are you?”

“Here,” his voice floated softly behind her. She spun around and heaved a huge sigh of relief. The green-haired man was leaning against the wall beside his room, appearing as though he was trying to catch his breath. “I’m sorry for leaving you alone there,” he added apologetically as he straightened his back, all previous emotions he showed in the room disappearing within an instant.

Mei shook her head and smiled. “It’s fine. I should be the one apologizing for bringing you back to that room,” she said, and wanted to ask questions but decided against it, seeing how traumatised N was a few moments ago.

N pushed himself away from the wall and stood behind Mei, his figure towering over hers. “Don’t apologize for that. Anyways, there is nothing more of interest there. Let's keep moving. You can continue leading the way, I’ll follow.”

Mei walked carefully as she led the way, making sure to avoid the large gaping cracks on the ground as her eyes surveyed her surroundings. N was mostly quiet along the way, occasionally piquing up answers to Mei’s unspoken questions whenever her gaze lingered too long on a room’s entrance. It was only when the duo made it up the staircase on the far right of the long castle corridor did N visibly brightened up. “This is our destination... Go inside,” he quietly requested of Mei as she stopped, letting N lead the way instead this time.

The entrance to room in particular was wider than the rest of the rooms they had past by. N stood by its doorway and signalled for her to enter first. As soon as she stepped into the room, she understood why its entrance was wider than all the previous rooms.

This room, with a large gaping hole in the ceiling, was the throne room. N’s throne room. The floor tiles in this particular room looked much more polished, their glory and glimmer still evident underneath all that rubble and dirt accumulated in two years. At the end of the room stood his throne, its once magnificent dark blue velvet now torn and dirtied. Despite how worn-out the throne appeared, the gold lining on it still glinted brightly.

“That’s the place!” N exclaimed from behind her as Mei stood before the halo of light created by the sun rays that had filled the hole on top of the room. 

“It was two years ago,” N recalled fondly as he gazed at the space before him and made a gesture towards the pool of sunlight before them. “For the sake of Pokemon… For my ideal world… For my world of truth… I put my beliefs on the line and battle a certain Trainer! And I lost…” he shook his head with a tiny smile, “But at the same time, I learned something important. To make the world better, you must accept different ideas.”

N had walked up the centre of the halo and beckoned for Mei to do the same. “I learned that this is the formula for changing the world. Accepting different ideas…” he drifted off as he pondered over his next few words. N inhaled sharply and turned swiftly to face the current Champion of Unova. “I want to see if you a Trainer whose heart is strong enough to do that.” He took out the only Pokeball he had on hand and tossed it to his side, commanding forth his strongest Pokemon, “Reshiram, come!”

The magnificent white bipedal dragon with an enormous presence came into view. It roared loudly and stretched its wing-like arms while its jet engine-like tail flared into life, causing the surrounding temperature to soar up to a new high while the ground beneath them shook.

As the legendary dragon lowered its gaze to meet Mei’s flabbergasted expression, N readied his battle stance and took his place behind his Pokemon. “Reshiram always wants to know what truths you seek and how good of a Trainer you are,” he explained and his partner nodded slowly, making a low noise and flapping its wings.

“Battle with me. Are you prepared?"

Mei closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, calming herself down and preparing herself mentally for the battle ahead. Could she beat a legendary dragon? The last time they fought, her Pokemon was defeated. But that was the past and now she has become the Champion. And she’s taking him on six to one. She can do this. She had faith in herself and her Pokemon. It was time to show N how much she has grown and how much the bond between her and her Pokemon had strengthen. In fact, she was excited. A fierce grin began to form on her lips.

Mei adjusted her visor – something she always did before a battle out of habit. “Bring it on!”

N nodded in approval, smiling as well. “Show me the depth of your determination!”

On cue, Mei tossed out her first Pokemon. Haxorus appeared, roaring bravely when it saw its opponent. Mei has been preparing a new team for her journey to the east of Unova, and she hoped that this newly trained team would give her strongest opponent yet a good fight.

The battle had begun, with N once again letting the Champion take her first move. Haxorus fired some close-ranged attacks such as Dragon Claw and Close Combat, and though Haxorus had the type of advantage over Reshiram, the half dragon-type legendary Pokemon also had the same advantage over Haxorus. Reshiram, stronger than it was in their previous fight, proved to be a challenge for Mei. A really big challenge. Haxorus’s Dragon Claw seemingly did nothing to the white sturdy body of Reshiram. In addition to that, Reshiram had the upper hand in power and speed, as it deftly flew away from another Dragon Pulse fired from Haxorus’s gaping mouth. _So close! _

In the end, Haxorus was taken down, and Mei was forced to send out her next Pokemon. She returned the fainted dragon-type back into its Pokeball, thanked it for its hard work before sending out her next Pokemon, which was a dark and ground type: Krookodile.

The battle carried on as N studied Mei’s battle strategy for each of her Pokemon. Krookodile was taken out, but the effects of sustaining super effective ground-type moves from the powerful crocodile was apparent. Reshiram had begun to look weaker, but yet, it was still standing tall, not letting its guard down ever. “I believe in you, Reshiram. Let’s keep this up!” N encouraged from behind.

Mei had a third Pokemon sent out in front. A gentle-looking Lapras appeared, and was enthusiastic to try its best to bring down her opponent. Due to its natural bulkiness, Lapras was able to tank some of Reshiram’s hard hitting moves, while firing back several Hydro Pumps and Ice Beams as counter attacks. Lapras’s efforts were not put to waste, as Reshiram was visibly slowed due to the Ice-types attack which froze certain parts of its wings. “Burn the ice away!” N quickly commanded, and Reshiram made a loud booming noise as its turbo engine-like tail lighting up with a fiery glow, entering Overdrive mode. A ring of fire surrounded the dragon and almost immediately, the ice on its wings melted. Reshiram focused its gaze back onto Lapras, preparing to fight back with a surge of fiery moves. Alas, the heat was too much for Lapras to take. Upon earning a critical hit Fusion Flare from the more determined Reshiram, Lapras was knocked out promptly.

Champion Mei wasn’t usually the kind of person to make mistakes, especially during a Pokemon battle. But this time, she began questioning her strategy. Had she started off too strongly? Would she be able to pull this off with her remaining Pokemon? Self-doubt began swirling around her mind like a hazy mist, clouding her judgement. 

N had noticed when Mei seemed to have gone on pause for a while. Before he could help, he opened his mouth to speak, “As long as you and your Pokemon are having fun, this battle has already been won!”

Mei snapped her head up to gape at N, an epiphany occurring to her in that moment. N was… right. She shouldn’t be so caught up with winning. Afterall, what’s a Pokemon battle without some fun? Her previous Pokemon had all tried their best, and that is all that mattered.

A tiny smile ghosted her lips. _Alright, here goes nothing…_

“Go, Serperior!” she exclaimed and tossed out her starter’s Pokeball into the air.

“Serrr!” the green, serpentine Pokemon emerged and hissed fiercely. It looked back at Mei and gave its Trainer a reassuring nod. “I trust you, my partner. Let’s do our best!” Mei said and gave Serperior a thumbs-up.

The battle resumed, with Mei beginning to feel the initial stress seeping away from her body. Serperior, despite being weak to Reshiram’s insanely strong fire-type moves, was nimble and managed to avoid most of its attacks while landing its own attacks. Mei has a new strategy: weaken Reshiram so that it moves slower. And Serperior seem to realise that was its Trainer’s strategy. It did an excellent job in doing so, as Reshiram eventually began to tire out. However, it eventually did manage to land a super effective Flamethrower on Serperior, which was knocked out immediately. But it had done its job well. Reshiram was heaving with exertion as it landed back down on the ground, looking exhausted with its wings droopy. N clenched his fists together and his jaw tightened. The end was near. It was nearly time to say goodbye…

The Champion’s fifth Pokemon was her Lucario, who she had decided to bring along as well from her main team. She wasted no time in dishing out commands to one of her strongest Pokemon, “Lucario! Aura Sphere! Rapid fire style!”

A flurry of light blue glowing orbs was shot out from the aura Pokemon’s palms. Reshiram instinctively began to unleash its counter attack, which was a column of Flamethrower emerging from its mouth. The Aura Spheres were stopped.

“Reshiram, in the air now!” N shouted.

Mei decided to try something else since far-ranged attacks wouldn’t work. “Lucario, get close to Reshiram and then use Bone Rush!”

As Lucario leaped into the air attempting to get closer to its opponent, it placed its paws together and then spread them apart, creating a light green bone of energy. Reshiram growled and unleashed another red-orange stream of fire from its mouth.

“You got this Lucario! Use the bones to deflect it!” Mei exclaimed hurriedly, and thankfully, her command reached Lucario in time. It successfully managed to deflect the powerful Flamethrower and landed back on the ground. Don’t give Reshiram time to recover…!

Mei pointed at Reshiram, who was still in the air and commanded, “Now! Use Dragon Pulse!”

Dragon Pulse from Lucario hits, and Reshiram landed with a defeaning thud on the ground, moaning in pain. N’s eyes widened. “My friend! Can you still get up?”

Amazingly enough – or maybe not so much since Reshiram was, afterall, a legendary Pokemon that has fought antagonizing wars in the past – the white dragon got up slowly and stood weakly on both feet. “Great, thank you, Reshiram,” N encouraged. “Fire a Fusion Flare at Lucario!”

The fire-dragon began charging up a ball of fire in front of its mouth, which gradually grew bigger with every passing second, until it was scarily big enough to knock out most Pokemon, especially those weak to Fire-type moves such as the Steel-type Lucario, which anticipated nervously for its next command.

“Use Extreme Speed and leap high into the air!” Mei asked of Lucario, which nodded its head and almost instantly, its body became surrounded in a green aura and it leaped up at the speed of light. The Fusion Flare attack came, but while Lucario has managed to avoid most of it, the ball of fire with rings surrounded it was just too big to be completely avoided. A part of its tail and its feet were singed from coming into contact with the Fusion Flare, and Lucario gasped in pain.

“DON’T GIVE UP! I believe in you! C’mon! Get close to Reshiram and use Close Combat!!” Mei cried out, her heart beating quickly in her chest.

Her Pokemon’s eyes widened. It could feel its Trainer’s determined and fierce aura, and her overwhelming support and trust for it. N could hear what Lucario was saying: _I… will help my Trainer until the very end, no matter what it takes!_

With a powerful war cry, Lucario, still surrounded with its green aura which seemed to glow even more brightly, charged at its opponent who was weakened from launching such a powerful attack at high speed. When Lucario got close enough, it readied itself to use its next move, Close Combat.

It repeatedly attacked the opponent with a lightning fast barrage of open-handed strikes with both of its paws and powerful kicks. Reshiram could not hold on anymore, and finally fell onto the floor, breathing heavily through wheezes.

“We did it!!” Mei cheered as she ran up to Lucario who has landed back in front of its Trainer, looking worn-out, but satisfied and overjoyed. She hugged it tightly and ruffled the top of its head.

N regarded the scene before him with a smile, yet his eyes were sad. He expected this defeat clearly – giving Mei, who was already the most powerful Trainer in Unova, the clear advantage of using all her Pokemon against his only one. She did put up an excellent fight, and the way she was praising all her Pokemon now only made N even more sure that giving Reshiram to her was the right thing to do.

He walked up to Reshiram, which has regained consciousness. N fed it some Sitrus Berries and eventually, Reshiram was back on its feet. Reshiram was gazing solemnly at him. _So, I guess it is time, Hero… _

His eyes met those of the dragon’s sapphire blue eyes. He nodded sadly, and then turned to focus his attention on Mei, who has just returned Lucario back into its Pokeball.

“Reshiram and I were defeated. Your feelings, your desire to know the truth— that's what surpassed us. Battling with you reminded me of two years ago..." N’s lips curled upwards as he glanced at the throne at the end of the long corridor. “It may just be a little, but I know you better... That's how I feel.”

Mei smiled shyly. Though she was focusing more on her Pokemon throughout the battle, she was impressed by N’s command over Reshiram, and the trust both had towards one another. There were times when N did not need to command Reshiram directly, and times whereby Reshiram reacted by itself. But seeing how N trusted his Pokemon really amazed Mei.

N turned to face Reshiram, which had a wistful expression. “And Reshiram… thanks for everything. My journey with you has been truly wonderful! From now on, I want you to use your power to help this Trainer realize her dreams.”

_What…?_ Mei stared at N in confusion, but he wasn’t meeting her eyes. Reshiram was crooning rather mournfully, and had bent down for N to caress its face. _Was N going to…?_

“I know. I'll miss you, too... But your task is to help humans who seek truth. I learned so much from you. I'll do my best to tell everyone else what I learned on my own,” N’s voice etched with sadness as he continued stroking Reshiram’s neck – its favourite spot. _Hero… will you be alright by your own? _

N nodded fervently, wanting to reassure his friend, “I'll be OK! I can talk to Pokemon!” he promised and took his hand off the white majestic dragon. “I'll become the bridge between Pokemon and humans! That’s my truth!” He took a step away from his friend – his best companion for the past two years, and looked down at the ground, his cap casting shadows on his face, hiding the hot tears threatening to spill from his eyes. “So… Rest well…”

“Wait!”

Both N’s and Reshiram’s heads snapped his head up to look at the female Trainer who has an Ultra Ball in her hand. She held it up.

“This… I don’t need your Reshiram or another legendary Pokemon because…” Mei slowly spoke, and she pressed the button in the middle of the Ultra Ball, which enlarged to its full size.

“Because?” N asked, his pupils dilating. Reshiram was scruntinising the ball in her hand.

“Because…” Mei took a deep breath before continuing, “I caught Kyurem a few days ago.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! i know this chapter was long overdue (rip) but yeaa i guess i lost motivation to do many things when my country entered a so-called lockdown because of the Covid-19 situation. i hope that everyone is safe and healthy! im really not sure when the next chapter will come out, but i'll definitely come back to continue and hopefully finish this fic! thank you everyone and please reach out to your friends and family should you not be feeling well mentally :-) it's been a hard year but we're already halfway through!!


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